Tango Tangle
by absque amor
Summary: Ginny finds herself longing for Draco Malfoy, and, in the hopes of attracting his attentions, asks Blaise Zabini for dancing lessons. When Blaise begins to show interest in her, she becomes unsure of what she really wants. Rated M for later chapters. XD
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, I have to write this! I have to! And I can't work on the other story at the moment anyway, because my computer that it's on isn't working. Therefore, I cannot transfer the chapters! Gomen nasai! You'll forgive me, though, I promise.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, kay?**

_She was acutely aware of herself in that brief moment. He merely passed her by in nonchalance, not noticing her, yet __**still**__ his essence crashed over her, rooting her to the spot. Her breath caught, her mind whirled, and she whipped round, but he was already gone._

It was an insane mob of bodies driven mad with lust and longing. They danced against one another - bodies caressing, sweat dripping, heat rising - and for a moment she was afraid. Afraid she might lose herself.

_Blaise caught her watching and smirked haughtily. Ginny immediately flushed and stared down at the table. She could not, however, keep from looking up at him once more. When she found his blue-gray eyes watching her in amusement she froze. Pansy Parkinson caught what was happening and laughed behind her hand. Ginny stood quickly and rushed from the hall, leaving behind a very confused Harry._

Ginevra Myree Weasley took a deep breath, forced herself into a self-assured calm, and slipped her cloak from her shoulders before she strode through the crowd of entangled bodies. Her heart thumped painfully against her chest, but she ignored it and continued into the middle of the group. A circle formed around the misplaced Gryffindor.

_Ginny stood alone in Honeydukes sighing wistfully as she gazed out the window into the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. At the very moment in which she was about to give up, hands alighted on her waist before slipping down to her waist. Her breath caught and the heat rose in her. She knew who it was. She knew with out having to look._

_"Draco..."_

_Then he was gone. He slipped through the door and smiled knowingly at her through the window before disappearing down the street._

"Oy! Looks like we've got a lost little lion here," Pansy called out coldly. Laughter rippled through the crowd, and Ginny closed her eyes - but not in embarrassment. She closed her eyes to better focus; to concentrate her need.

Staccato piano notes drummed through the room followed by other string-oriented instruments. The sound of mourning violins hummed around her and she began to dance to the tango. She mercilessly teased the Slytherin boys; moving her hip seductively and allowing her arms to move like liquid until a partner stepped forward.

Blaise molded to her body as though he'd been made for her. Indeed, it looked as though two halves of one splinched soul had found one another and were reveling in their union. Ginevra did not flinch once despite the way his hands roved familiarly about her body and his chest pressed against her back.

The Slytherins were struck speechless as they watched Ginny and Blaise move against one another despite the social taboo of Slytherin and Gryffindor acting in such union. Even Pansy could to nothing more that gape in astonishment and longing.

Ginny was deaf and dumb to them, however. There was so much emotion, so much tension, so much _need_ in her that she did lose herself as she'd previously feared. If she had any strength to spare she may have marveled at how much of a release this was; how very comforting. It was not frightening at all. It was relief.

Ginny was whipped away from him, but stopped before the link that was their hands could break. She looked at him for a brief moment before she was snatched back. Their bodies came together for a brief moment before Ginny took four sharp steps backward, staring intently at him. Their fingers, previously intertwined, longingly broke away - pulling Blaise forward so one leg was forward and his hands were out leaving him in a stance of entreating. He body begged for her return, and return she did.

Making one turn, she stopped before him and their hands joined once more before he pulled her forward onto his leg whilst he leaned back. One hand clasped hers while the other supported her at the very top of her thigh. Her forehead rested on his neck and his chin on her own. They stayed like that, their ending pose as the song finished and faded into nothing.

Applause broke out; somewhat unwillingly at first, then fervently as they remembered that Blaise was one of their own. The two began to disentangle slowly, but before they departed completely, Blaise stole secret kiss. Ginny froze, leaving Blaise to pull away on his own. He did so as slowly as before then spun Ginny about for the crowd. The applause continued along with whistles and cat-calls as they took official bows.

Music resumed and the Slytherins began to dance once more. Ginny slipped away from the group to a table of refreshments and poured herself a drink. Disowning her proper demeanor, she gulped the refreshing liquid down quickly and immediately regretted doing so.

_It's spiked!_

Deciding not to drink a drop more, Ginny placed her cup down, about to return to the floor. Hands slipped around her middle and lips nuzzled against her neck, causing her heart to flutter.

"A kiss was _not_ part of the plan, _Zabini_," she hissed.

She was responded by a soft chuckle followed by a familiar voice purring, "You mean, he actually kissed you?"

Ginny stiffened as she realized just _who_ was embracing her. Her cheeks flushed and she looked across the room to see Blaise watching her and Draco. She saw a flicker of disappointment, anger, and hurt before the mask was replaced and Blaise slipped into the mass of dancers.

_Wake up, Ginny_, she chided herself, _this __**is**__ what you wanted, right?_

Before she could reflect on the question, Draco spun her around, his eyes dancing with mischief. He pulled her close and murmured, "Care to dance?"

Ginny licked her suddenly dry lips before responding.

"Yes."

**A/N: Sqeeee!!! Like it? Yes? No? Maybe? Respond, please!**


	2. Five weeks earlier

**A/N: Whoot! One day and I already have a review! I was also added to a favorite author list! Fuah! Thank you, Forsaken 18!!! I was asked to update soon, and I intend to! By the way, these first few chapters are going to range through one week each, starting with Sunday. Here goes!**

**Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, and J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter (et all) belongs to you.**

_Sunday_

Obsession.

Infatuation.

Ginevra Weasley was not sure _which_ it was that she felt for Draco Malfoy. Either was as dangerous and forbidden as the fruit of knowledge, and _he_ was just as tempting.

She sighed wistfully, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand and watching Draco though the corner of her eyes. He was standing easily, his lithe body curved to support his weight easily whilst he flipped through the pages of a promising book.

She's discovered her unforgivable feelings for him about a week ago and had since reveled in them. Ginny hadn't had any idea that she could yearn for one person so desperately. Especially Draco. Of course, she'd had feeling for people before, and an infatuation for Harry at one time. None of those occurrences were at all like this. None of them had felt so seductive, so...dark.

_It can never happen,_ she told herself sternly. _He's probably dating Parkinson anyway, the way she throws herself at him all the time._

Of course, Pansy Parkinson threw herself at Blaise Zabini as well, but who could blame her? Draco and Blaise, both had a beauty about them. To date either of them would be an honor and beyond bliss. Ginny didn't want to settle for any one other than Draco, though. Not that she honestly believed she had a chance. She knew that she was attractive, but nothing compared to the likes of the Slytherin Princes. Even if she _were_ that attractive, she was a Gryffindor. She was a blood traitor._ She_ was forbidden.

Ginny dropped her hand to the book before her with a sigh. Leaning back, she gazed into nothingness before slamming her book shut. Draco started slightly and turned to watch the red-haired Gryffindor throw her things into her bag before slinging it gracefully onto her shoulder. He smirked as she turned about and jumped. She hadn't been expecting to find him watching her, he could see it in her eyes.

Ginny stared at him for a long moment before looking away, defeated. Blood crept into her cheeks and she stood, embarrassed, for a moment before rushing past him and out of the library.

Cursing herself, she strode, fuming, the entire way to the Gryffindor tower. She gave the password thoughtlessly and rushed through the portrait hole straight into..

"Harry!"

"Hey Ginny," he said with a smile which quickly became a frown, "what's wrong?"

"N-...nothing," Ginny spluttered perhaps a little _too_ quickly for Harry's frown deepened.

"Was it Malfoy?"

_How does he know_, Ginny thought in wonder, but she merely smiled and said, "No, I'm just...frustrated. The passage I was reading didn't make any sense so I thought I'd come ask Hermione about it; have you seen her?"

"Uh...she's up in her dormitory I think," Harry responded, still sounding minutely skeptical.

"Thanks," Ginny said, flashing him her best grin which put him at ease immediately. He murmured, "No problem," and she walked past him trying to seem as carefree as possible.

She would have to go see Hermione now _and_ come up with a reason for visiting.

_I could tell her the truth_, she mused but dismissed the idea almost immediately. Hermione would never understand, and Ginny was not in the mood for the lecture which would inevitably follow such a conversation.

_No_, Ginny thought as she opened the door to the sixth year girls' dormitory. _Better tell her I'm looking for a good book to read and wanted some suggestions._

Ginny sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed and waited to be noticed. The moment Hermione greeted her, Ginny asked for suggestions on books and stared at Hermione attentively though her brain was still dawdling in thoughts of Draco.

_Wednesday_

"Gin, wake up."

Ginny started and turned to find Emily Monroe watching her in amusement. It was the fifth time that week she'd been caught day dreaming in class. At least this time it wasn't Snape who was snatching her back into reality. Ginny looked up in time to see Snape change directions and thanked Emily for rescuing her.

"No problem," Emily said with an air of waving away a fly. In the same sort of airy voice she added, "Though, you certainly have been daydreaming a lot. Care to explain?"

"N-..." Ginny began, catching herself before she denied the request flatly. This _was_ her best friend she was talking to, after all, and after everything they had been through together it seemed rude to keep her out of the loop. At the same time, the idea of filling her in on the whole issue was terrifying.

"I'm just..." Ginny began again, choosing her word very carefully, "...it's just a crush."

"On who," Emily asked in excitement.

She was trapped now. There was no way Emily was going to let her get out of divulging who the crush-ee was, but Ginny was determined to try regardless.

"I don't-.."

"Oh, come on," Emily whispered, falling silent as Snape past by them. The moment he was out of earshot she added, "You can tell me. It's not like I'm going to _tell_ the guy that you like him."

"I know..."

"Then what's the problem."

"I just won't want to."

"Lies!"

"Okay, fine, I _do_ want to, but-"

"Then tell me."

"Fine!" Ginny hissed a little too loudly. At a warning look from Snape, Ginny and Emily looked down at their cauldrons and worked in silence for the next three or four steps. Finally Ginny murmured, "It's Harry," shocking herself. His name just sort of...tumbled from her lips accidentally. She hadn't meant to say Harry, but he was the first guy that came to mind who was acceptable.

"_Again_," Emily whispered, amused.

"I suppose."

_Thursday_

Ginny rushed through the crowd of people, shouldering past them with constant streams of apologies. When she finally reached the dungeons she slowed her pace and began to catch her breath. Thanks to her previous rudeness she wouldn't be late to Potions, but she was relatively certain that a _lot_ of people were going to be in a bad mood for some time. Especially considering the fact that she'd stepped on a few feet on her way here.

As she rounded the corner, she looked up to see Blaise, Draco, and Pansy walking toward her. Blaise glanced at her with a smile before returning to his conversation with Draco and completely ignoring Ginny's existence.

She was acutely aware of herself in that brief moment. He merely passed her by in nonchalance, not noticing her yet _still_ his essence crashed over her, rooting her to the spot. Her breath caught, her mind whirled, and she whipped round, but he was already gone.

"Ginny?"

She jumped and turned about to find Harry watching her. She smiled and he immediately pulled her off to the side. Confused, Ginny opened her mouth to question his actions, but he cut her off before she could begin.

"Listen, Ginny," Harry said in a serious tone, "Emily told me about your...well, you're feelings...for me, and-"

"She _what_?"

"Wait, don't get angry at her, alright," Harry insisted. "I made her tell me what's been bothering you, and...I don't think she realized she said it until it was too late, anyway I just wanted to tell you that...well...I feel the same."

"She let it sli-...wait...y-...you do?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Harry I-"

"Let's talk about it later, alright," Harry stated more than asked, "We have to go, or we'll be late."

"R-right," Ginny said allowing him to rush away. She entered Snape's classroom and sat at her seat numbly, thinking, _well...I could do worse, and Harry's really a good guy._

Someone sat next to her, and Ginny turned to find, to her surprise, that it was Colin Creevey.

"Colin..wha-..."

"Emily took my seat," he said with a shrug. Ginny looked over to see that Emily was trying her best to not look at Ginny. Heart sinking, Ginny realized that her friend felt ashamed and resolved then and there to talk to her after class.

_Saturday_

"Damn it, Emily! Stop avoiding me!"

Emily turned slowly to look at Ginny, tears streaking down her cheeks. Ginny had finally caught her in the library and had chased her down the corridors before blurting the demand out.

"I'm not mad at you, okay!"

"Then why are you yelling?"

"Because I'm bloody pissed off!" Ginny huffed as she crossed her arms. "I can't believe yo-"

"I know," Emily said mournfully as she looked away, "I know. I shouldn't have told him, but-"

"That's not what I mean," Ginny said as she walked over to her friend and grabbed her shoulders. "I mean, I can't believe you actually thought I would get upset over something as stupid as that. That I wouldn't forgive you, especially since it got Harry and I together."

"Really," Emily asked, looking at Ginny hopefully.

Ginny smiled and said, "Duh."

The two friends laughed and Emily pulled Ginny into a hug. Soon, Ginny was being interrogated for every juicy detail about her hooking up with Harry and what it was like to be dating the boy wonder.

**A/N: Aww...two friend reconciled! Yay happiness and fluff! Remember to review! You know, that little button in the bottom left hand corner? It will fill me with joy and inspiration, I promise.**


	3. Is this paradise?

**A/N: Here we go into the next chapter! I feel like the pace is a little...meh, but it will pick up, I promise. Also! I have the next few chapters plotted out and once they are done, the format of the story is going to change to my normal way. I.e. The chapters won't be broken down by days.**

**Disclaimer: The idea of a Ginny/Blaise isn't even my original thought, so...no.**

_Ginny bade goodnight to her small group of friends and extracted herself from their presence with difficulty claiming that she __**needed**__ sleep. Not entirely a lie, but she had also seen Harry glancing at her from the circle of chairs about the fireplace._

_The moment Ginny reached the staircase to the girls dormitory Harry was beside her, holding her back by the hand._

_"Yes, Harry?"_

_She stepped down to him, smiling. He held onto her hand regardless and said, "You wanna go on a date with me tomorrow?"_

_"Where will we go," she inquired with a laugh._

_Harry smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "I want it to be a surprise. Will you meet me outside of the Gryffindor tower tomorrow at six?"_

_Ginny smiled at him and nodded._

_Sunday_

Ginny observed herself in the mirror. She wore a formfitting, yet modest, pink top and just as tight black jeans. Her hair was down, falling to her shoulders, with a few clumps curled into ringlets. She'd applied Lillian's Lipglosser to make her lips shimmer and a hint of pink eyeshadow and black eyeliner to make her eyes stand out. Over all, she looked drop-dead sexy and she knew it.

The door opened and a light gasp hit the air. Ginny turned to find Emily smiling at her approvingly.

"You look fantasmagorical," she exclaimed as she rushed to her friend. "How did you get your hair to do that?"

"Curling spell," Ginny said as she stepped away from the mirror. "I could teach it to you."

"Please?" she begged smiling. "Harry is going to-"

"Oh Merlin! Harry! I forgot," Ginny exclaimed. Before she disappeared through the door, she called back, "See you later!"

She rushed down the steps, past her friends in the common room, ignoring the cat-calls and whistles which came from their general direction, and into the portrait hole before she stopped. The entrance swung open before her and by the time she stepped into the corridor she'd caught her breath.

She spotted Harry leaning against a wall waiting for her and her breath caught once more.

He wore black jeans as well and a green shirt that made his vibrant, emerald eyes stand out all the more. His firm, seekers body was twisted in a way that made Ginny's heart skip a beat.

_He's no Draco Malfoy_, Ginny couldn't help thinking, _but he certainly cleans up well._

Harry spotted her and for a moment the two simply examined one another in appreciation. Finally, Ginny looked away, clearing her throat, and spoke.

"Perhaps we should lay off the gawking," she said with a smile as blood rushed to her face, staining her cheeks with color. "You know, in favor of a date or something of the like?"

"R-...right," Harry said, laughing a bit as he held his hand out to her. "Shall we?"

Ginny took his hand and they walked down the hall in silence. Harry was smiling, apparently content with merely being in her presence, but there was something Ginny wondered about. Something that had been bothering her since the night before.

"Where's Ron and Hermione?"

Harry frowned a bit, sensing where this question was going. "At the library, why?" At the look of surprise on Ginny's face he laughed and added, "Don't worry. Ron isn't going through a drastic character change or anything. The two of them just realized that they have feelings for one another."

"About time," Ginny said smiling. She was quiet for a moment before adding, "I was just wondering, because...do they know? About us?"

Harry looked at her for a moment before sighing and looking away. He was quiet for a long time, so long that Ginny wondered if he was going to answer her or not. Just as Ginny was about to ask him again, however, he did.

"No, I haven't told them," he said with another sigh. "I..._want_ to, but I don't know how Ron will respond to...us."

"Are you completely off your rocker," Ginny inquired with a smile and a laugh. "He'll be ecstatic! You're his best mate and I'm his little sister. Either he trusts you with me, or I become a lesbian."

Harry snorted at the last bit and Ginny smiled although another problem she hadn't thought of until then had suddenly occurred to her. If Ron _didn't_ accept them, she and Draco were out of the question. Not that there was a question about them, anyway as Draco already _was_ out of the question.

Shaking the thought with difficulty she said, "We have to tell them eventually."

"I know," Harry said, keeping his smile firmly on his face, "as for now..."

He opened the door to the Room of Requirements and Ginny smiled. Before her was a dance floor and in an alcove to the left was a table with food set out already. (Upon seeing this Ginny realized that they would be missing dinner and smiled to herself) There were candle floating above them and giving off a dim light. Red satin fell from the ceiling causing the floor to be flooded with strips of red.

"It's _gorgeous_."

_Monday_

Ginny stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the fifth year girls' dormitory and watched Harry, Hermione, and Ron. She'd almost gone to bed, but upon hearing from Emily that the trio were the only ones downstairs she'd made up her mind that it was better to inform Hermione and Ron of her relationship with Harry sooner rather than later.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny pushed herself foreword and strode over to them. Kneeling beside Harry, she took his hand. He jumped a little and turned, confused, to find her looking up at him and biting her lower lip.

"What's up?"

Ginny gathered her courage and murmured, "I think...we should tell them...now."

"N-...now?"

"Oy!" Ron called as he caught sight of them. "What are you two whispering about?"

Ginny and Harry exchanged looks for a moment before Harry sighed and murmured, "Might as well." With a smile, Ginny stood and their clasped hands were suddenly made clearly visible.

"Harry and I are dating."

This statement was met by a few moments of silence before Hermione broke into a smile and exclaimed, "Wow, really? That's fantastic!"

"Yeah, bloody great," Ron muttered in dark sarcasm.

"Ron..." Harry began, but Ginny cut him off.

"Yeah, it is actually," Ginny said forcefully. "I'm happy and so is Harry. Isn't that enough for you? You constantly tell me that I shouldn't date this boy or that boy because they can't be trusted. Well deal with it, Ron, and grow up! I'm not a baby anymore, all right? I'm _going_ to date boys, and you need to come to grips with that! I would think you'd be okay with this considering Harry is your best mate, or can't you trust him?"

Ron was silent for a long time as he stared at her. Finally, he looked away and muttered, "Fine. Date whoever you want, I don't care."

Ginny let go of Harry's hand and stormed away.

_Wednesday_

Ginny smiled as Harry pulled her closer to him, but she didn't feel very happy. Her eyes kept wondering across the room to where Draco sat with Blaise and Pansy. The latter was obviously flirting with both boys and had just planted a kiss on Draco's cheek when Harry so conveniently pulled her attention away from the Slytherin trio.

"Right Ginny?"

"Hmm?"

"I said," Harry began, slightly annoyed, "'Ron's bound to come around soon.'"

"Yeah," Ginny said enthusiastically, "especially when he finds out he made the team."

"Ginny!"

"What," she asked sheepishly.

"You weren't suppose to tell anyone," Harry said in slight exasperation. Ginny smiled at him apologetically and he kissed her cheek, laughing as he forgave her.

Harry returned to his conversation with Hermione and Ginny continued with her Draco-watching. At that moment, Blaise caught her watching and smirked haughtily. Ginny flushed immediately and looked down at the table, but could not keep from looking up at Draco once more. When she found his blue-gray eyes watching her in amusement, she froze.

Pansy Parkinson, looked up and, catching on to what was happening, laughed behind her hand. Ginny stood up quickly and rushed from the Great Hall, leaving behind a very confused Harry.

_Thursday_

Ginny left the Library in low spirits. She had been unable to concentrate in the common room and, thanks to Draco standing nearby, unable to concentrate in the Library. If this kept up, her grades would suffer.

_I just can't let this keep up, then_, Ginny asserted - as if she had _any_ control in the matter.

Sighing for the zillionth time that day alone, Ginny rounded the corner only to be pulled behind a tapestry and slammed against the wall. Lights popped before her eyes and Ginny groaned; realizing, for some reason, that her bag had fallen to the ground and the contents would be strewn across the floor.

She opened her eyes and that quickly became the least of her worries, for she found herself in the presence of a sneering Pansy Parkinson.

"May I help you," Ginny managed to inquire as she reached up to rub the back of her sore head.

"Stay away from Draco," Pansy muttered shortly. "He's mine."

"But I haven't-"

"But you want to," Pansy hissed, cutting her off. "I've seen the way you look at him and the way he..."

She stopped herself in the middle of the sentence and looked away, seething. When she looked back at Ginny, the hatred in her eyes had doubled.

"Just stay away from him if you know what's good for you."

With that, Pansy whipped about, stormed through the tapestry she'll pulled Ginny behind, and was gone. Ginny stared at the tapestry as it fluttered back into place before leaving the secret corridor herself.

"Weasley?"

Ginny stopped short and turned to find Draco watching her curiously. Choosing to ignore him, she kneeled down toin order to gather her things up. Draco stepped closer to her, casting his shadow over her huddled form.

"Is someone picking on you?"

"As if you didn't know," Ginny spat without looking at him. Instead, she picked up a broken ink bottle and groaned. To her surprise, Draco knelt down beside her and took the ink bottle from her silently. With a wave of his wand it was repaired and with another the ink was replaced, safe and sound, inside its container.

"Here," he said, holding it out to her. In a shocked silence, Ginny accepted it and tried to remember how to speak. Just as she was about to thank him, however, he stood and walked away.

_Friday_

"Oh, Ginny. Harry's coming over," Emily informed her with a grin.

Ginny turned just enough to see him heading toward her and turned back, heart thumping like mad. Emily watched her frown and the smile slipped from her own face to be replaced by a look of confusion.

"I think...I'm going to the Library," Ginny informed her quietly. Then, before Emily could question her about it, Ginny stood and rushed from the Gryffindor tower.

The sound of feet pounding behind her met her ears and Ginny knew that Harry was running after her. He grabbed her hand, jerking her to a stop, before she could make it down the corridor.

_Damn, he's fast!_

"Ginny," Harry gasped as he attempted to catch his breath, "why...are you...avoiding me?"

Ginny sighed and turned to find him gazing at her with a hurt and confused expression. Taking a deep, shuddering breath she murmured, "I don't think this is going to work, Harry."

"What? What won't work?"

He knew full well what she was talking about, she knew by the look on his face. Her heart sinking, she said almost inaudibly, "Us."

His hand let go of hers immediately and he straightened. Ginny looked away to avoid the penetrating hurt look in his brilliant, green eyes.

"Why?"

When Ginny didn't respond, Harry crossed to her in one stride, took hold of her shoulders, and said, "You're breaking my heart, Ginny! The least you could do is tell me why."

Choking back a sob, Ginny whispered a broken, "I can't."

His hands slipped from her shoulders and he stepped back. Muttering a bitter, "Fine," he whipped around on his heels and returned to the Gryffindor Tower. Ginny fell to the ground, her knees giving out beneath her, and she cried.

**A/N: Muahahahahahaha! I have just been informed by a friend of mine, whom I shared a few select quotes from this chapter with, that Harry will probably be singing "They're coming to take me away," soon because of all the terrible things I do to him. Muah! Muaha! Muahahaha! Muahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Remember to review!**

**Speaking of...**

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**Forsaken 18: Really? You hate Harry/Ginny? I think they're cute. Although, that may be because it reminds me of a relationship I _used _to be in. xP**

**CascadiaFaye: Aweh, thank you! I blush, I blush! Hey, I _like_ fluff. Besides, this chapter was pleanty angsty to make up for it. -Mischievous grin- Yay, French-speaking-nes!**

**gineveramalfoy1894: Funny, _too_? Did you read LMBTT? -runs off to check and returns confused- Hmm...well, if you have, you haven't reviewed -nudges you- and if you haven't you _should_. -nudges you again-**

**CaptainCarrotCactus: Thankies! I like your pen name, by the way. Iiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.**

**Demon-childe619: Yay! Love is goooooood! I, myself, only recently discoered the Ginny/Blaise craze. I read the first chapter of your story and plan on reading more, I promise!**


	4. A Warning and A Date

**A/N: So...I don't feel very motivated to write this story. At the point in which I write this author's note, only three people have reviewed the last chapter and it makes me feel unloved ((pouts)). Also...I kinda have a good idea for another story. It's a song fic and a Ginny/Draco called beautiful disaster. Tell me what you think of the idea when you review.**

**Disclaimer: Don't I wish...every night...every morning...every day...in every moment...((sigh))**

_Sunday_

No one would talk to her since she broke up with Harry. Not because they were angry with her, per se, but because she slipped into such an introverted mood that no one dared go near her. Emily had attempted to at one point, but Ginny had sent her a pleading look that begged her friend to leave her alone. She felt depressed and tired but also felt she deserved it. Harry had never done anything wrong. In fact, he'd been exceptionally kind to her and she repaid him by tearing his heart to pieces.

_I am so conceited_, she couldn't help thinking every time she looked at him. _I'm a conceited prat, and I certainly don't deserve him._

Harry had been sulky the first day, but had immediately put on an act of being alright afterward. Ginny knew it was an act, because she saw the hurt in his eyes every time he looked at her. They had caught one anther's gazes several times since Friday, but Ginny had looked away the moment she noticed he was looking back.

At the moment, Ginny lay in her bed pretending to sleep. She stared at the ceiling, wondering what she could possibly do to amend the situation. In her mind, there were only three solutions: one, tell Harry the truth; two, tell Harry a lie about how she hadn't meant any of it; or, three, tell him a lie about why she had broken up with him. None of these options seem very appealing to her in the slightest.

_But what else can I do_, she thought mournfully, _I have to do __**something**_

With a sigh, Ginny sat up and slipped from her bed. Dipping her feet into her slippers, Ginny made for the door. She grabbed her night-cloak and pulling it on as she went. Ginny slowly descended to the Common Room, figuring that she might as well sit before the fire and think if she was going to have to be awake.

Ginevra Weasley was not the only person having issues falling asleep, however. She discovered this as she stepped into the Common Room and spotted someone already sitting before the fire. Letting out a groan as she realized who it was, Ginny turned around with every intent on returning to bed.

Unfortunately, fate just did not seem to be on her side that night.

"Ginny?"

The aforementioned froze, trying to pretend that she hadn't heard him, but it was no use. She turned around with a wary smile plastered on her face and inquired.

"Y-...yeah, Harry?"

Harry apparently had not expected her to respond, for he fell into a lengthy silence. Finally, he licked his lips and offered somewhat tentatively, "Couldn't sleep?"

"No," Ginny admitted as she exhaled. She wasn't sure why, but just talking to him like normal made everything feel much better. Making up her mind in that moment, she walked over to where he sat and took the armchair next to his.

"You?"

"No," he said laughing a little. "I just..."

However, Harry seemed incapable of saying just what he was for he fell silent once more and stared into the fire. Ginny watched him for a moment before she, too stared into the fire. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a long time; both despising it but neither willing to speak.

"I'm sorry," Ginny finally managed to murmur. "I...do like you, Harry, but there's someone I like more. Emily was never supposed to tell you I liked you, but I just...couldn't bring myself to tell her who I really like. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Who do you like more," Harry asked without looking at her. However, he turned to her as he added, "If you don't mind me asking."

"I..it's not that I mind you asking," Ginny began slowly as she looked away. "It's just...the person I like is...not someone you would approve of. Besides, I doubt anything will ever come of it, so...I really should just give up on him."

Harry watched her for a moment before sighing heavily. He ran his fingers through his hair slowly and murmured, "Forget him. If nothing ever comes of it that means the guy is an idiot and doesn't deserve you. You should go out with me instead; I don't mind being a rebound guy."

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. She knew how he felt, of course, but she never thought he would say something like _that_. Her mind reeled and various possible responses presented themselves before slipping quickly away. Just as she decided on one and opened her mouth to speak, however, he continued.

"That's what I want to say, but..." Harry began, trailing off for a moment. "But I know that I ought to tell you not to give up on him. He may not realize your feelings, and, I bet if he did, he would return them. Don't just assume that nothing will happen if you confess your feelings. If you want something, then you have to go after it."

Ginny smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Harry. I know how hard it must be for you to say that considering...well, you know...considering..."

"That I have feelings for you," Harry offered gently.

"Yes," Ginny responded softly. They sat in silence for a few moments more before Ginny stood and bade Harry, "Good night" with every intention of returning to bed and submitting to sleep. Just as she reached the stairs, however, she was stopped by Harry calling out to her. She turned to find that he'd risen and strode halfway across the common room to her.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Since it's all out in the open that you like someone else," he began slowly, not quite meeting her eyes. "Why don't you and I go on a date to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"Harry, wha-"

"I don't mind a rival," Harry informed her flatly as he took a step forward, "and that's how I'll regard him until one or the other of us ends up dating you seriously."

Ginny watched him in a silence, considering this proposal. Admittedly, she was uncertain of her feeling for him...and Draco. She was uncertain about many things of late and...and didn't she owe him a chance? After what she'd put him through, was a simple date too much to ask?

A smile broke out on her face. She nodded and said, "All right. Saturday then."

_Tuesday_

Ginny sat with Harry in the Gryffindor common room near the fire side. They were chatting, laughing, and generally having a good time simply hanging out with each other. Ginny had decided that it was best to give Harry a chance since she certainly did not plan on confessing anything to Draco anytime soon.

Harry, in turn, was behaving as an exemplary boyfriend ought to. He took great lengths to gouge Ginny's tolerance without annoying her. He did it in simple things, and took her reactions seriously. Once a topic was broached and resolved he took care not to bring it up again.

He inquired tentatively if she minded him opening doors for her. Compromising with her on that same issue: he could hold doors for her if she could do so for him in return. Consequently this became a game to see which could get to the door first and almost always ended in a tickle fight or some such silliness.

He complimented her in simple forms, making sure he was not an embarrassment. Occasionally, when the two of them were alone, he would flatter her shamelessly. Ginny would blush, and Harry would take her hand in his and kiss her fingers before they emerged back into the public eye.

Ginny found this all to be very endearing. However, she sometimes felt as if she were forcing him to walk on eggshells around her and was intending to bring this up in conversation when he suddenly ceased measuring her. They fell into a comfortable relationship then, something Ginny cherished.

The two had just entered into a debate on the finer points of Quidditch when Ron's shadow fell upon them and his cough drew their attentions to him. He looked very uncomfortable standing before them with his hands twitching at his side. Ginny bit her lip as she watched him struggle internally which whatever he wanted to tell them.

"I...I'm not upset with you," he informed them quietly causing Harry's tensed lips to relax and Ginny's eyebrows to shoot up into her fringe. "I...trust you, Harry, and...you two are happy so...this _is_ all bloody great."

"Minus the sarcasm," Harry inquired good natured-ly.

"Yeah," Ron answered in an exhale.

"Thank you Ron," Ginny said as a smile broke forth on her features. "This means a lot to me."

_Friday_

Ginny sighed in relief and stretched before putting away her potions homework. It was always best, she felt, to start her weekend off by extracting from it the thought of potions class. She loved potions and everything, but it was the class she put _most_ thought into and if she did all that thinking at the beginning of the weekend it freed up her time considerably.

Taking care to keep her things in perfect order, Ginny tucked her supplies into her shoulder bag. She stood, slipped her bag onto her shoulder, and made for the library entrance. It was as she was strolling through the charms sections that the thought of her date the next day struck her inexplicably.

She was happy and yet...uneasy. She felt almost guilty in that moment as she recollected the fact that, during Ron's offer of blessings, she couldn't stop thinking about Draco. When she had said it meant a lot for her that Ron accepted Harry she wasn't really thinking about Harry at all. She was thinking that, if Ron could accept Harry, at least, there was hope for a prospective future with Draco yet.

All of this struck her in one moment, overwhelming her, and in one motion she slumped against a nearby bookcase and allowed her bag to drop to the floor. Again, dark thoughts of her despicable selfish greed raged within her and a depressed mood settled in the bowels of her heart.

"That bloody, stupid, gorgeous git," Ginny muttered deflated, "always infiltrating my pleasant thoughts."

"Thinking about Malfoy, perchance?"

Ginny snorted, "You have _no_ idea."

Gasping as she realized just _what_ she had divulged to Merlin-only-knew-who, Ginny whipped away from the wall as she turned to find hazel eyes adorned with amber specks watching her.

Blaise Zabini leaned casually against the very bookshelf Ginny had leaped away from in alarm. He wore flattering black pants; an azure button-down shirt; a shimmering, ebony vest; and a look of cool triumph.

"Zabini, I..."

"Don't try to explain this away, Ginevra," Blaise said with an air annoyance, "you would only insult my intelligence and perception to do so."

Ginny shut her mouth tight and resolved to glare at him. She indulged in that very act briefly before grabbing up her shoulder bag; an indication on her part that she not intend for this exchange to carry on for much longer. Blaise smirked at her silent retort before pushing off the bookcase and stepping deep into her comfort zone and throwing all her nerves on high alert.

"Listen to me now, Ginevra Weasley, and listen well for I will not repeat myself," Blaise murmured to her in a dangerously low tone. "You would do best by yourself to forget about Draco Malfoy. He is far beyond anything you imagine him to be and past your ability to comprehend or control. Dabbling in a relationship with him would destroy a kitten like you."

Ginny flushed and her heart pounded against her chest. He stood before her for a fraction of a second longer than was necessary to enforce this warning before turning quietly on his heels and disappearing from her sight. For the second time in just a few short moments, Ginny was hit with more incomprehensible emotions that rendered her temporarily weakened.

She felt sick, angry, depressed, and at the same time frighted by Draco and the possibly reality of Blaise's words. A sense of pungent foreboding enveloped and consumed her. Shaken to the core, Ginny inhaled deeply and rushed from the library with all the dignity she could muster.

_Saturday_

Harry and Ginny had decided to spend the first hour and a half with their mates before meeting at the Three Broomsticks for their date. Ginny had spent the first hour with Luna, but wondered off by herself for the last half an hour of her solitude with her thoughts centered on Draco. Finally, she had made her way to Honeydukes knowing well that her date with Harry would soon commence.

Once she arrived, Ginny sat in the window seat and gazed out the window in a dazed and dreamy state. Despite everything Blaise had said, and once Ginny got over the initial shock of it, Ginny couldn't be sure whether Draco was as terrible as he'd alluded. She was incline by her feelings for Draco to believe that he wasn't and longed to get Draco alone for a moment just to gage what sort of a person he was.

Standing now, alone in Honeydukes, Ginny sighed wistfully as she continued to gaze out the window into the street hoping to catch a glimpse of _him_. At the very moment in which she was about to give up her fanciful thoughts of running into Draco, hands alighted on her waist before slipping down to her hips. Her breath caught and the heat rose in her. She knew who it was. She knew with out having to look.

"Draco..."

Then he was gone. He slipped through the door and smiled knowingly at her through the window before disappearing down the street.

Ginny slumped down into the window seat once more as her brain exploded into a flurry of confusion. The wheels of her mind whirled about as she tried to comprehend just _what_ had happened to her. Thoughts of Harry completely vanished from her mind as she stared blankly into the street.

**A/N: So...took me long enough I know, and I'm sorry. I was wondering just how I would make the transition from the necessary background into the meat of the story. When it finally hit me I decided to grit my teeth and plunk out the rest of this chapter even if it killed me. Plus, I refused to delete the chapter responses that accumulated since the last chapter until I finished this one. They kept glaring at me from my inbox and now I will answer them:**

**Chapter three**

**Kyra: Yay! It's these kind of messages that guilt...I mean...compel and inspire me to write more soon. :) Now write more for YOUR story! Please?**

**CaptainCarrotCactus: Interesting story, I wish the reasoning behind my pen name was as interesting. I was just feeling particularly emo when I made this account and looked up the Latin translation for "without love" --grins sheepishly--**

**I'm glad, that although you are not a fan, you were able to feel compassion for Harry. Comments like this make me feel accomplished! --exaggerated thumbs up and cheesy "I-am-Rachel-and-I-approve-this-message" smile-- Ginny and Oliver...I may have to try that...**

**Michelle: Thankies and...please don't hate me? --meek eek-age--**

**J. P. Rose: Thank you for adding my story! --heart--**

**gineveramalfoy1894: Awesome name (don't know if I've mentioned that before...). Again I must implore that those who were happy to see Ginny and Harry break it off in chapter three don't hate me now. --heart?--**

**applexx3: No, I'm not confused. My logic hardly ever makes sense either XD. I'm flattered that you find my Harry/Ginny-ness sufficient. I blush! I blush! And I agree. Ginny/Blaise and Ginny/Draco tend to be much more...I don't know how to describe it. There's just more passion there.**


	5. Draco Escapade

**A/N: I was just thinking that I aught to get a head start for the next chapter before too many comments come when I checked my email today and found more comments than I expected. Therefore, I reread my previous chapter and am ready to delve into the next. Here we go!**

**Disclaimer: --siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh--**

_Sunday_

Ginny had taken to avoiding Harry again. However, she had decided not to do it only in a physical sense. She still spent time with him but her mind was elsewhere almost constantly, and she did her best to avoid his inquiries about her recent distracted demeanor.

At the moment, she was heading toward the library with every intention of finishing her homework. It happened to be a plus that Harry would not be there, but that was _not_ why she was going.

At least, that's what she told herself.

To prevent the possibility of acknowledging the truth, Ginny had slipped into a deep contemplation about what she would write for her Advanced Transfiguration essay. So deep, that she didn't realize she was walking past a certain seventh year Slytherin until he was grabbing her arm.

Ginny jerked into awareness as she was spun around and found herself facing Draco Malfoy.

"M-malfoy."

"I told Pansy to knock it off," Draco informed her shortly. At the shocked look which alighted on Ginny's features he added, "Don't worry, I didn't mean your head. I told her to get over herself because she and I will _never_ get together so she might as well leave you be."

"Oh," Ginny said, her voice felt incredibly constricted. Clearing her throat she added, "Thank you."

Draco shrugged her thanks away and watched her for a moment before saying, "Has she bothered you since?"

"No."

"Good," he said, finally releasing her, and slipped his hands into his pockets. "I just wanted to make sure. See you around, Weasley."

"Y-yeah, see you around."

Then he left her standing in utter confusion. All thoughts of homework completely abandoned.

_Monday_

Moonlight streamed into the room through the curtains covering "Ginny's" window. Rolling over in her fourposter bed, Ginny stared at the shadows made on the floor without really seeing them and wondered, once more, what exactly had transpired between her and Draco.

_'See you around,' _Ginny repeated his parting to herself. _What did he mean by that? Of course we'll see each other around because we __**always **__see one another around. Still, he usually...doesn't say stuff like that. Certainly not to me._

With a sigh, Ginny rolled over again and spotted the necklace Harry had gotten her during their last trip to Hogsmeade. It was sitting on the nightstand carelessly mocking her.

Harry.

"See you around," was more along the lines of what he would say. Draco should be saying, "Stay out of my way, Weaslette," or, "if you keep running into me I'm going to get your blood-traitor stench on me."

Turning onto her back, Ginny stared at the ceiling and thought of the two. If she had a choice between them, she would pick Draco hands down, she knew it. Still, she didn't want to hurt Harry any more than she already had.

_But maybe_, she though slowly, _maybe the best way to keep from hurting him more is to end it now. If I let him think he's winning me over it will only be worse when I leave him._

Ginny bit her lower lip but nodded her head decisively.

"I have to end this."

Her affirmation was met with an anticlimactic silence, then a whooshing sound as Ginny was hit full in the face by a pillow. Shoving it away from her face in frustration, Ginny found herself looking at an annoyed and half-asleep Emily.

"Stop rolling around and muttering in your sleep, Ginny," Emily demanded shortly, snatching her pillow back. "Go get some sleeping draught and leave me to my rest!"

Emily stormed back over to her bed and jerked the curtains about her bed closed. Ginny sighed heavily, closed her eyes, and welcomed sleep.

_Tuesday_

Ginny tapped her quill impatiently on the desk as she waiting for class to end and lunch to start. At breakfast, Ginny had slipped a note into Harry's bag where he kept his quills, knowing he would find it. The note asked him to please meet her at the Room of Requirements at lunch so she could talk to him.

He would know that something was wrong, Ginny knew he would. Harry had always been intuitive about things like that, and she knew it was driving him crazy not knowing what it was.

Finally the bell rang and she jumped from her chair as if it had burned her. She was the first from the room even though she sat at the very _back_ of the class room. She could hear her friends teasing her in the distance, but she ignored them as she made haste to the seventh floor.

A door was already waiting for her, and Ginny could tell just from looking at it that he knew. All of a sudden, she wanted to turn around and run away as fast as she could.

_I can't do that to him_, she stated to herself firmly. _Not again_.

So, strengthening her resolve, Ginny crossed to the door. She grabbed the knob, turning it, and stepped into the room. There was a loud _thunk_! which caused Ginny to simultaneously gasp and jump back. When Harry did not immediately come into her line of vision, however, Ginny stepped tentatively into the room and looked behind the door.

Crouching against the wall was a boy, hands on his head, and obviously in pain. It was clear from the moment she laid eyes on him that he was not Harry. The moment he looked up and his annoyed, silver eyes locked on hers, her worst fears were realized.

"Oh Merlin, _Malfoy!_" Ginny exclaimed, taking a step forward. "Are you alright?"

"Do I bloody LOOK alright to you Weaslette?"

"Er...not...not exactly," Ginny said as she stepped back again. "Would it help if I apologized?"

"I doubt it," Draco growled as he straighted and began to advance on her. Ginny, naturally, backed away from him as quickly as possible. He stopped short as she reached the doorway and a strange look took hold of his features.

Suddenly, Draco seized Ginny by the shoulders and pulled her forward into a kiss. Her heart exploded with happiness as she melted against him. It was everything she had ever wanted and more. He hesitated for a moment, seeming to be unsure or shocked, before deepening the kiss.

Just as abrubtly as it had begun it ended, however, as Ginny was wrenched from Draco. The sound of flesh smacking against flesh hit the air and suddenly Ginny realized what had happened.

Harry turned around and gave her a look of utter disgust, then he walk away. Draco stumbled back to the doorway, spat blood onto the ground and locked eyes with Ginny.

Ginny stared at him, a mixture of emotions bubbling in her heart, then she tore after Harry.

"Harry! Harry, _wait_!"

Ginny stopped before him, but he continued past her. Without a second thought, she reached for him, but he jerked away and whipped around.

"_Malfoy?!"_

"I know, bu-"

"No, Ginny," Harry spat, cutting her off. "No buts, no explanations. Not this time." He stepped away from her, shaking his head and added, "I can't believe this. I can't believe _you_."

Then he turned and walked away.

_Thursday_

Ginny sat as far from Harry at the Gryffindor table as she possibly could. He refused to look, speak, or acknowledge her in any way since the Draco escapade. As far as she knew, though, he had not told anyone else what had happened as neither Hermione nor Ron had attempted to lecture her yet. For that, she was grateful. She only wished she could tell him.

Glancing down the table at him, Ginny couldn't help but regret the way things had fallen apart so harshly. She wanted to apologize and make him understand, but she also didn't want to force her company on him. If he wanted things to be fixed, he'd let her know. She could only hope he did want their friendship salvaged.

As she was tentatively observing Harry, she peripherally caught movement on the other side of the hall. Turning to see more fully what had caught her attention, Ginny watched as Blaise Zabini rose and made to leave the Great Hall. Slipping away from the table as inconspicuously as possible, she followed his example and left.

Once outside, she only _just_ caught sight of him as he rounded the corner to her left. Without a second thought she followed him as silently and quickly as possible. Taking care to keep out of his sight in case he turned about and spotted her, Ginny dodged behind corners and suits of armor waiting for the right moment to approach him.

Just as it seemed inevitable that he would head for the Slytherin common room, Blaise stopped and looked about him suspiciously. Then he turned and began to head to the upper floors of the school. Ginny followed him, crouching as she went and only moving to a new staircase when she was sure he'd left it.

Suddenly, he stopped ascending and headed into one of the corridors. Ginny followed cautiously, waiting until he rounded the corner at the end of the hall before venturing out into it. They continued like this for sometime until Blaise suddenly stopped in the middle of a hall and began pacing. Having reached a decision, it seemed, he stopped and entered a room on the right.

Ginny rounded the corner and headed straight for the door. The moment she reached it, she realized he would be waiting for her on the otherside. Behind her was the tapestry of the trolls being taught ballet and before her a door to the Room of Requirements.

It did not take her agonizing and torturously slow seconds to reach out, or to turn the knob, nor to enter the room. She stood before Blaise Zabini in a moment that seemed to have past in the bredth of the blinking of an eye. If she'd retained any doubts as whether he really was waiting for her, they were dispelled by the look on his face. It seemed to be something between exasperation and approving awe at her audacity.

This expression, however, disappeared almost immediately to be replaced by a cool, apathetic look. Blaise narrowed his eyes at her in amusement and said, "Ginevra Weasley, you are either incredibly stupid or incredibly stubborn.

"Tell me," he continued as he stepped toward her slowly, "did you forget already the warning I granted you a mere week ago or did you completely ignore me then." Ginny merely stared at him until he whispered into her ear, voice low and dangerous, "That was _not_ a rhetorical question."

"How do I get him."

Blaise stepped away from her, confusion flashing across his eyes for the most brief of moments. Ginny decided she would need to be incredibly watchful with him in order to remain in league with the games he enjoyed playing so very much.

"How do I get Draco," she repeated, knowing well he would never admit to being ignorant of her meaning. "I know he has some sort of feelings for me, but I don't know how to get him to indulge in those feelings. How do I do that?"

Blaise watched her for a moment before bursting into laughter. Ginny raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she waited for him to control himself. Once his fit of laughter turned into spurts of chuckling he managed to say, "You didn't take my advice the first time I gave it, why should I give you more?"

"Because I'm stubborn," Ginny retorted shortly, "and because you're involved now, whether you like it or not. I _know _your type, Blaise. Once you get involved in something you won't abandon it until you've seen it through to success. You and I are alike in our determination."

Blaise's eyes flashed and they stared one another down for a long time before Blaise hissed, "You got yourself into this mess, Weasley. You can get yourself out of it, if that is even possible for someone _like us._"

Then he brushed past her, leaving a shocked Ginevra in his wake. But Ginny _was _stubborn, so she set her jaw before whipping around and rushing past Blaise to block his path and the exit.

"That can't _possibly_ be the end of this conversation," Ginny asserted as she continued to stare him down.

"Oh?" Blaise said, raising one sculpted eyebrow elegantly. He came off amused but Ginny could feel his annoyance as if it were a tangible thing like the door her palms were pressed against.

"Yes," Ginny said firmly. "If you were going to deny me you wouldn't have come here to speak with me in the first place. You _will_ help me, not because I asked but because you wanted to all along."

Silence settled between them as an electric exchange seemed to spark between them. Each held the other's gaze firmly without flinching or any sign of faltering anytime soon.

That is, until Blaise slammed his hands against the door on either side of Ginny. She flattened herself against the door and could do nothing to prevent the flood of fear which crashed over her so suddenly. Her every nerve went on high alert as Blaise stepped well within her comfort zone again.

"I am not your plaything Ginevra Weasley," Blaise muttered darkly, their lips barely an inch apart, "so don't attempt to toy with me. Draco is not the only man you would do well to keep yourself away from. If you know what's in your best interest, you will return to your boy wonder as if none of this happened. You will forget about Draco Malfoy, and you will keep your distance from me, understand?"

"Yes," Ginny managed to whisper, but she quickly cleared her throat to add in a much stronger voice, "but what if I don't know what's in my best interest?"

The corner of Blaise's lips twitched in...agitation...or amusement? Ginny wasn't sure. Either way, he leaned in closer to say, "Then you will return here on Saturday for Tango lessons."

His hands slipped to her shoulders and she was startled by the gentleness with which he moved her away from the door in favor of leaving. Ginny stood rooted to the spot for a moment as fear slowly seeped from her limbs then she ran after him into the corridor.

"Tango lessons?"

Blaise, hands in his pockets and halfway down the hall already turned to look at her with a smirk gracing his features. His eyebrow quirked again as he said, "You didn't honestly think you could entertain Malfoy for long without even knowing how to dance? All his past girlfriends could tango and you need to be prepared to at least measure up to them before you can even dream of surpassing them."

"I can dance!" she protested, but Blaise merely laughed as he walked away. Nothing more was exchanged between the two, but Ginny knew very well that neither Blaise nor Draco would count the act of seizuring to music her age group so often indulged in as dancing.

"So I guess I learn to tango," Ginny muttered in exasperation, but within her something like excitement was stirring.

**A/N: Yaaaaaaaaay! I thought that I had lost this chapter and I'm soooooooo very glad I didn't. Anyway, next chapter will no longer contain the weekday captions the last five have as most of the next chapter with be tango lessons! Whooot! We're almost past the boring stuff, and I'm really excited to get started on the juicy stuff! --jigs--**

**Review Responses:**

**Chapter four**

**CaptainCarrotCactus: Whoot for Harvest Moon! Although I'm not familiar with the one you're talking about. The one I play has Ellen, Eve, and that blue-haired, church-going, pianist. ****I'm glad you like how this story is going and happy you think that it's worthy of non-abandonmentness, by the way. Don't worry, though, I don't plan on abandoning it.**

**Dracoginnylover24: Yay! I'm glad you like it!**

**Hysteria and Chaos: Thanks for adding my story! I'm glad you like it! Yes Blaise **_**is**_** pretty darn fantastic, isn't he? He's like Ginny in that you can to almost anything with his character and have it be believable.**

**Yin vs. Yang: Thank you, also, for adding my story! **

**Demon-childe619: Yay, I think that was my favorite part, it was definitely the most interesting to write! And pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease update sooooooon!**


	6. Practice, practice, practice

**A/N: I really want to write a song fic right now because of some...issues in my life that really related to this song that I, now, really adore. However, I promised that I would not abandon this story, so I'm going to start this next chapter before I start anything else. I will also try to make this chapter longer than the others.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I only own the plot.**

"We have a week, Blaise informed her nonchalantly as he closed the door to the Room of Requirements behind her. "Only one week for me to teach you how to tango. Are you ready to start?"

"Yes Ginny affirmed as she crossed to the middle of the room, "but why do we only have a week? And how, exactly, do you intend on teaching me a whole form of dancing in one week?"

"I don't," Blaise replied simply, shrugging a little."I intend on teaching you _a dance_, and I want you to perform it with me at the Sytherin party being held next Saturday."

"No."

Blaise froze, eyes flashing as he captured her gaze. "No? What do you mean, 'no?' You can't tell me you honestly thought you would be performing for Draco _personally_."

"W-well..no," Ginny stammered as her cheeks filled with the vibrant hue of blood, "but I don't want to dance for all the Slytherins either!"

Blaise smiled as clothes appeared in his hands and he offered them, "You _won't_ be dancing for them; you will be dancing for _Draco_. It is as simple as that, and if you keep that thought in mind you'll be fine.

"Now," Blaise added as Ginny took the clothes from him, "I need you to go into the dressing room" - as he said this one appeared behind her - "and change into those clothes. Those jeans you're wearing are not appropriate dance wear."

Ginny flashed him a suspicious glance before moving into the dressing room and locking herself within. She changed quickly and mentally expressed her need for a mirror and a full length mirror appeared on the wall next to her. She appraised herself briefly and nodded with approval before exiting the room.

Blaise had required for her a pair of fashionable, cloth sweats. The pants were green with two gold strips running down the outside hems and the shirt was the same color gold. The top was form fitting and exposed her stomach slightly, which made her feel uncomfortable. However, she knew that once they began to dance she would be grateful for the revealed areas of skin.

"I'm ready," Ginny informed as she crossed to the middle of the floor. "What now?"

Blaise frowned slightly. It was clear to Ginny in that moment that the Tango was not something you should inquire about lightly. Certainly, one should never say, "What now" about it and she resolved to never do so again.

"Now we Tango," Blaise said as allowed his body to meld with hers in a perfect stance. He began to take measured steps forward and, after a clumsy beginning, she followed. Once she seemed to be comfortable, he reversed and they began to go backwards. Soon they were wondering all about the room and not long after that Ginny found she was able to predict how they would move next.

"Good," Blaise murmured as he pulled away. Ginny was beaming brilliantly and she seem to radiate joy at this comment. "We're off to a great start. Now that you feel comfortable we can move onto the actual dance. First, I must finish the choreography. I have the beginning planned out, however, and I wanted to expose you to it since you will be performing alone."

Ginny froze. She hadn't been very comfortable about the whole dancing with Blaise idea, but this...this was worse. At least if she was dancing with Blaise she was dancing _with _someone. But alone? She would be doing the dance alone? Well...not the whole dance, but even a part by herself filled her with nervous fear.

"Okay," Ginny heard herself say. She had come this far. Despite the fear she felt now, she had come this far and it was no good giving up now.

"Okay," Blaise returned.

He moved away from her and she stood back to watch. Blaise stood alone and quite for a moment, and Ginny almost thought she could hear the sound of records flipping over one another as they did in those muggle juke-boxes. Then the sound of staccato beats tapped against the otherwise still air of the room and fill Ginevra with the desire to move. Then Blaise began to Tango.

Ginny was entranced. Although it was clear that the movements he made were intended for a female, Blaise performed them without shame. When he had finished, Ginny stared at him for a moment before clapping her hands. He smiled and bowed briefly then he showed Ginevra the moves. Feeling extremely self-conscious, Ginny followed his instructions until she had the introduction down in muscle memory.

"Great work Weasley," Blaise said wiping the perspiration from his forehead with his sleeve. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah...sounds good," Ginny said as she grabbed her clothes from where they sat in a corner of the room. "Thanks again for everything Zabini. You're...you're a great teacher."

Blaise looked uncomfortable for a moment, as though he had never received a complement in his life. Then he nodded and turned away from her, an obvious sign to her that it was time to leave. As Ginny closed the door to the Room of Requirements behind her, she heard the music start back up. Blaise, it seemed, was as much dedicated to this as Ginny was. For some reason, that made her heart feel like it was glowing.

**6**

Ginny found throughout that week that the more she danced with Blaise, the more comfortable she became with him. When she first began to learn the choreography for her section of the dance she had blushed furiously the entire time. Not to mention Blaise informed her that she danced like she was afraid her clothes would fall off. Her blush had deepened at that, and she decided not to tell him how close he was to being right.

That was on Sunday, however, and this was Thursday. Now she and Blaise had the whole dance memerized and it was a matter of practicing until the whole dance was running it until the whole dance went smoothly. As Ginny was trying desperately not to think about the fact that the Slytherin party was a mere two days away, Blaise whipped her away from him with such force that their hands broke apart, and she stumbled to the groud.

"You're not concentrating," Blaise said as he glared down at her. It wasn't an accusation, it was a statement, and Ginny knew he was telling the truth. "We're two days away from performing and you are off in some dream world!"

Ginny looked down at the floor, ashamed. She had no idea of how to respond to that as she couldn't very well deny that she wasn't focused.

Blaise sighed, causing Ginny to look up in curiosity. He was running fingers through his hair as he asked, "What's wrong?"

Ginny was caught off guard for a moment. What ever she _had_ been expecting, it wasn't that. She sat up slowly and crossed her legs before she spoke.

"I guess...I'm just worried that I won't be good enough," Ginny said after a moment of thought. "Like...I might freeze up or something. What if I do? What if the music starts, but I don't. What if I blow this whole thing and make myself look like a complete and utter idiot in front of the whole Slytherin house? In front of Draco?

"I just...I don't want to fail."

Blaise stared at her for a moment before he slumped to the floor in front of her. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he took her hand in his and looked her in the eyes. Ginny stared back as steadily as possible, but her heart was thumping like mad and a blush was rising in her cheeks.

"You will not fail," Blaise informed her firmly, "because you are an amazing dancer. You _are _good enough to do this Ginevra Weasley. If you freeze, I'll step in early and we'll save your solo for the end of the song or something. If you start it off shaky then we'll just have to blow them away when I join you. You won't fail. I won't let you."

Ginny believed him. It was as simple as that. Somehow, over the past few days she had come to trust Blaise completely. She knew that no matter what happened two days from then, Blaise would be there for her. That mattered to her so much more than she ever thought it would, or that it probably should have. She had to remind herself firmly that Blaise was just the means to and end. She was after Draco, not Blaise.

Blaise stood up, clearing his throat as he did so, and offered his hand to her. Ginny smiled, completely forgetting what she had just told herself, and took his hand. He pulled her up a little off the floor then _let her go_! Ginny grunted as she hit the ground and thought, _well so much for trusting him! _She crossed her arms before her chest and glared at him.

"Sorry," Blaise said, laughing. "I just thought I would lightened the mood. I won't do it again, I promise."

He held out his hand to her once more. Ginny eyed it warily for a moment before tentatively placing her hand in his. He pulled her up so sharply that she couldn't stop her momentum as it forced her to stumbled into Blaise's arm. Their startled faces were inches apart when they managed to steady themselves. Ginny licked her suddenly dry lips before chewing her lower lip. She could feel his heartbeat and was surprised to find that it was beating as quickly as her own. She looked down at where her hand rested over his heart before looking up at him through a fringe of strawberry-blond eyelashes to meet his gaze once more.

Blaise was suddenly moving closer to Ginny. Her breath caught in her throat at the thought that he was _going to kiss her_. Their lips were a fraction of a second from connecting when he tilted his head slightly so that their foreheads met gently instead. His eyes were closed for a second and Ginny let out a breath of air she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Sighing briefly, Blaise opened his eyes and took her head in his hands. He gazed at her intently as he said, "Are you ready to focus now?"

_No_, Ginny snorted mentally, but she said, "Yeah, I think so."

They pulled apart and Blaise requested the music. As it began to beat around her, Ginny looked over at Blaise. He was blushing! He was blushing as he looked anywhere but at Ginny herself. Deciding to pretend she hadn't noticed, Ginny looked straight ahead and began to dance.

When Blaise met her in mid-dance, the red tint was gone from his face which was emptied of emotions once more. Ginny felt her heart sink a little, but quickly reminded herself that he had blushed. He wasn't as cold as he pretended to be and with that thought, she threw herself into the dance so vigorously that Blaise couldn't help but be impressed and enjoy himself.

When the dance finished, they pulled apart slowly and smiled at one another. Blaise nodded his head approvingly and said, "Great. This was a wonderful practice. Same time tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Ginny said as she fanned herself with her hand. She grabbed her clothes, then, and headed for the door but stopped before she had closed it. Turning around slowly, Ginny said, "Um, Blaise?"

"Y-yes...Ginny?"

Ginny smiled at the way simply saying his name had flustered him so before she murmured, "Thank you."

This seemed to throw Blaise off more that hearing his name coming from her lips had. He merely stared at her as though she had grown another head. Ginny took that to be his way of saying, "You're welcome, Ginny," and left. She was two days away from achieving her dream. Even if nothing came of this whole ecapade, she could say that she had tried. If nothing else, Ginny could be proud of herself for actively going after something she wanted. For the moment, that was enough to keep her smile, her nerves, and her resolve steadied.

**A/N: Okay, so this was probably the hardest chapter for me to write because I had to break away from the structure of the previous chapters and I wasn't sure how to do that. Still, I am now ready to plunge head first into the real meat of the story, so thanks to my readers for being patient with me. And now...**

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**Chapter five**

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	7. Misunderstandings

**A/N: SO! I was so excited to get on my email and find SEVEN RESPONSES to chapter six the DAY AFTER I ADDED IT! It inspired me so much that I started planning out the plot and the next few chapters in my mind while I was at work. This chapter should prove to be a long one as I have a lot of ideas going into it. Thanks for sticking by me, guys, and a special thanks to demon-childe619 because he shouted out to me.**

**Chapter Rating: Mature for language and mature content.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still only own the plot.**

Ginny stood before the Room of Requirements trying to gather up enough nerve to enter. She was before the lions den, or, more accurately, a pit of snakes. Every ounce of her being told her to turn around and forget about Draco. Survival instincts told her that regardless of whether she forgot him or not she should leave. However, something else kept her rooted to the spot, counting down from ten before she would force herself the enter.

10...It was just a dance. Just one dance.

9...She only had to be there long enough to get Draco's attention.

8...It would probably fly by once she got started.

7..The worst part would definitely be walking in.

6...She had come this far.

5...It was too late to turn back now.

4...She and Blaise had worked too hard for her to give it all up.

3...Blaise would be disappointed and upset if she threw it all away.

2...Blaise was waiting for her at that exact moment.

1.

Ginny took a deep breath and entered the room. She was hit immediately by the noise of the room that had been silence by the magical door. For a moment she stopped and stared at the mass of tangle bodies romping together on the dance floor. She couldn't imagine walking into it. Luckily for her, she wouldn't have to imagine it as that was exactly what she was about to do.

No one noticed her as she walked into the room, which suited Ginny fine. It gave her a chance to adjust to the strange experience. No one noticed, either, as she slipped off her coat. Nor did they immediately notice when she slipped into the sea of Slytherins. It wasn't until she neared the middle of the circle that she was noticed and the way cleared.

"Oy," someone called out over the musics, it was silenced immediately. Ginny turned about to find Pansy Parkinson sneering at Ginny in gilded amusement. "Looks like we've got a lost little lion here."

The laughter spilled from the mouths of those nearest to the action and washed over the rest of the crowd. Ginny closed her eyes to shut them out and to focus.

The music hit the air as crisply as Pansy's announcement had and soon Ginny found that she was dancing. When Blaise met her half way through the dance Ginny barely even noticed. She had lost herself in movement and there was nothing any one could do to rob her of the freedom she felt.

The dance ended and, much to Ginny's surprise, Blaise kissed her discretely on the lips as he pulled away. She was distracted from staring at him as though she'd never seen him before in her life by the applause that broke out. She knew it was meant for Blaise, but she felt pride well up within her regardless.

She slipped out of the crowd to the refreshments table and poured herself a glass of punch. Much to her chagrin, it was spiked, but the first gulp had succeeded in cooling her slightly. It also managed to buzz her slightly because of the amount she had guzzled before she realized that it wasn't pure punch.

Hands slipped about her waist then, catching her off guard, and someone buried their face into the loose hair on her neck. Without turning Ginny said, "A kiss wasn't part of the plan, _Zabini_."

"You mean, he actually kissed you?"

Ginny whipped around in disbelief but, sure enough, Draco was indeed standing before her looking incredibly amused. Ginny caught a disgruntled look on Blaise's face from across the room, but it was gone before she could really analyse it. Focusing on Draco once more, she tried to think of something witty to say. Nothing came.

Just as she was going to result to commenting on his outfit, Draco spun her around and said, "Care to dance."

Ginny licked her lips and said, "Yes."

Draco led her out onto the dance floor although he entered the crowd behind her. Ginny looked about at the other girls on the floor and immediately felt discomfort rise in her. It was one thing to dance like this with the other Gryffindors and Harry, but dancing with the Slytherins...she felt naked.

She quickly reminded herself that she was not dancing with the Slytherins, she was dancing with Draco. Then she pretended to believe that as Draco stepped up behind her. In order to to rid herself of the unease she felt, Ginevra threw herself into dancing with Draco. She pushed away any thought that didn't have to do with Draco's body gyrating with hers into time with the music and reveled in that same fact.

By the time the song had ended, Ginny was thirsty again and getting buzzed in favor of being refreshed was almost too tempting to handle. Draco kept her on the floor for three more songs however, for which Ginny was grateful. Despite how thirsty she was, being drunk - or even buzzed - in a room full of Slytherins was _not_ a smart move.

Draco led her off the dance floor then, and over to another refreshments table. He poured a drink and offered it to her. When she didn't immediately take it Draco said, "Don't worry, it's not spiked." Ginny hesitated for only a moment before taking a sip. The clear, cool feeling that rushed down her throat convinced her.

"Come on, lets go somewhere more private," Draco said as he draped his arm over her shoulders and led her to one of the curtains hanging form the wall. Draco knocked on the wall beside the curtain and waited a moment before leading Ginny inside.

Behind the curtain was a small room with what was either a bed, or a couch without a back. Pillows were piled against the wall for cushions and the whole dimly lit room had a red and black theme. Ginny couldn't help but wonder how these rooms were being used by the other party goers. She was certain she'd seen couples disappear into them and return in a slight state of disarray.

Draco led Ginny to the couch and they sat. Shifting to see her better, Draco watched Ginny as she finished her drink. She felt nervous and uncomfortable having his eyes fixed on her, but she tried not to show her discomfort. Neither of them spoke as Ginny finished her drink, but when she placed the empty cup next to the couch Draco said, "Why did you come here?"

Ginny froze for a moment before she straightened and returned his gaze. His face was blank of emotion as usual, but there was something in his eyes that unsettled Ginny. It was too restrained for her to truly understand what it was but it seemed almost like anger.

"I..." Ginny could no longer hold his gaze and she wasn't sure if she could continue speaking, but she did. "I came here...because of you. I wanted-"

"I think I know what you wanted," Draco said in a low voice. A mix of relief and nerves flooded through Ginny as she turned to look at Draco incredulously. How could he possibly know how she felt for him - she couldn't be _that_ transparent, could she?

"How-"

"I know about the list, Weasley," Draco spat and the anger Ginny thought she'd glimpsed earlier broke forth, distorting Draco's normally handsome features. "I know what you came here planning to do because you're not the first girl to try."

At that moment, Draco pushed Ginny back so she was lying on the couch on her back. He climbed onto her and glared down at her shocked and motionless form.

"Tell me, _Ginny,_" Draco began in a venomous tone, "If I fuck one of you, will the rest of you fuck off?"

"Wait...what?" Ginny sputtered as she pushed against him. "What...what are you doing?"

"I'm giving you exactly what you want," Draco hissed into her ear. Ginny shuddered and pushed against his chest again trying to get him away.

"What are you_ talking_ about," Ginny asked hysterically. "This is NOT what I want! I just wanted to talk to you! To get to know you, I don't want-"

Draco crashed his lips against Ginny's, silencing her immediately, but this kiss was nothing like the one they had shared earlier that week. It had none of the passion and it left Ginny feeling empty and miserable. Tears began to slip down Ginny's cheeks as Draco's hands roved over her body. Ginny's hands were still pressed against Draco's defensively, but now she allowed them to fall away and she turned her hear to sob into one of the pillows.

Draco stopped then and watched her in confusion. He'd expected that she would resist at first and be upset, but he didn't think she would cry. Not if all that she was looking for was sex. Unsettled, Draco gently turned her face toward him and felt her shudder beneath him.

"You really...just wanted to talk?"

Ginny watched his fearfully for a moment before nodding silently. Draco groaned and climbed off her to sit back on the opposite side of the room. Ginny laid still for a moment before she pulled herself up and pressed against the wall as far away from Draco as possible although she sensed that the danger was gone.

"I didn't want to have sex with you...Draco," Ginny finally managed to mutter. "I just thought...I wanted to believe there was more to you what you let most people see. I wanted to get to know you, and talk. That was it. I have no idea what 'list' you were talking about, I swear."

Draco was sitting against the wall with his palms pressed against his eyes. At this, he looked up at Ginny for a moment before looking away sharply. Before Ginny could say another word, he stood and left the room. The curtains snapped behind him and Ginny heard the sounds of annoyance issued from the dancers as Draco shoved past them.

Ginny sighed and allowed all the tension within her to dissolve as she exhaled. She felt numb and was certain she wouldn't be able to move for a while. She needed to sort out what had just happened.

**A/N: Aweh, poor Draco was an arsehat in this chapter, oh...and Ginny almost got raped, but she'll be fine. XD Anyway, I'm sorry that it's taken so long for my to get this chapter up, but the A.P. exams got in the way and now I'm trying to finish graduating from high school so the next chapter might be a while in coming, too. I had some really good ideas for the coming chapters but I seem to have lost them amongst all the homework and life issues. Don't worry. I'm sure that as soon as school ends I'll have more time to write and finish this story.**

**Review Responses:**

**Applexx3: Well...now you know what happened. Don't worry, Draco isn't as bad a person as I made him seem in this chapter, and yes. Yes, this IS a Ginny/Blaise. I'm **_**getting**_** there.**

**Snowfire 81: I...am an angst Nazi. XD So the likely-hood before Ginny and Blaise getting together before a battle royal...is...well...XD**

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	8. POV a la Blaise

**A/N: Hello my dearest, darling readers. I am terribly and absolutely sorry for the delay. I know, I know, it's been forever and, again, I am sorry. A lot has happened since the last time I posted, I won't bore you with the details, but it left me...well...unwilling to write for some time. I'm rebounding now. It was terrible, because I love to write and I **_**wanted**_** to write, but I couldn't bring myself to do more than zone out infront of the television. However, I am back. I reread my previous chapter and the review responses, and they reminded me of my love for this story and the promises made to you all that it WOULD NOT be abandoned. I intend to keep that promise. So, without (much) further ado, Chapter 8.**

**Disclaimer: Props to J. K.**

Blaise's eyes flickered to the room into which Draco and Ginny had disappeared and from which Draco had reappeared moments ago. The look in Draco's eyes unsettled Blaise and he wanted nothing more than to rush to Ginny's side, to assert that she was safe and happy. Reason grounded him to the dance floor. Barely. If he went rushing to her now, it would draw attention. He would simply have to wait for Ginny to emerge.

Someone pressed against him, and Blaise looked away from the door to find Pansy leering up at him in what she obviously thought was a seductive manner. It wasn't working. In fact, it was having the averse effect she desired. Disgusted, he pushed Pansy away firmly.

"What do you want, Pansy?"

"Isn't it obvious, Blaise?" she inquired, drawling out his name in a purr. "I want you."

"What a shame that desire won't be fulfilled," Blaise said with a sneer. "How about you refocus your efforts on someone you might actually have a chance with?"

"Merlin, you and Draco are both infatuated with that infuriating little snit, Weasley, aren't you?" Pansy snarled as she stepped away from him, her posture screaming agitation.

Blaise considered her for a moment before shrugging, "Infatuation is pushing it, but she's certainly more appealing than you." He glanced at the room once more, and this time he was rewarded by the appearance of a very disheveled looking Ginny. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He turned to make his way toward Ginny when Pansy grabbed his wrist and muttered, "No, I won't."

Blaise froze and turned to face her slowly. He looked utterly calm, but his eyes were burning with rage as he firmly jerked his arm out of her grip. "Fine, that works as well, Parkinson. I'm not making any excuse for my behavior anyway, regardless of your reaction to it. Get lost, Parkinson. This is the last time I'll tell you."

With that, he turned and slipped through the crowd with ease toward Ginny. By the time he reached her, she was heading out the door. Slipping out with her in favor of privacy, he took the door from her grip and shut it gently behind them.

"So," he said calmly, forcing amusement and a hint of curiosity into his tone, "Did you capture his heart with your wit and tenacious character?" It came out sounding flawless, Ginny wouldn't be in the least conscious of his hammering heart or the fear for her well being which caused its quickened rhythm. He kept his breathing controlled by some miracle, and leaned against the door gracefully.

Ginny was still visibly upset, not being anything near the emotionally schooled actor Blaise was. Try as she might to reign her emotions in, she was transparent to him. Therefore, when she told him, "Not yet, but I think I made a dent. He's definitely aware of me. Everything is going according to plan," he knew it was a barefaced lie. Well, not completely a lie, but it certainly wasn't the truth.

Blaise caught a sigh of disbelief from slipping from him, and moved closer to her instead. Any slip in character now, and he would lose himself completely. Keeping the tenderness of the sigh in mind, he placed the knuckle of his forefinger under her chin and tilted it tentatively upward. She looked him in the eyes reluctantly.

"Ginny...I'm involved now, you said so yourself," Blaise murmured. "Tell me the truth so I can help you."

Her jaw tightened, but in a moment her resolve melted away and tears filled her eyes. She blinked furiously, but it was a vain attempt. A tear leaked down her cheek and Blaise released her chin to brush it away.

"I'm sorry," she murmured needlessly, choking back a sob. "It's wasn't...he didn't mean it. I know he didn't. He was just so upset over that list, so...so that's why. I wish I knew...what it is, why he's angry."

_The list_, Blaise quoted mentally as he watched her rub tears away from her eyes roughly. Then he understood and he gently took hold of her wrists and pulled them away from her face so he could look her in the eyes ones more.

"Ginny, what did he do to you?"

"I don't...he didn't mean it."

"I know," Blaise asserted calmly, smiling reassuringly. "I won't be upset, I know he didn't mean it, but I still need to know what he did to you."

Ginny appraised him briefly before nodding. "Okay," she said gently, "Um...well...he asked me what I was doing here, at the party, and I told him I was here because of him. Before I could tell him I just wanted to talk to him, to get to know him, he...he had me pinned down and than he was kissing me, but not like the other day. It was hard and angry, and...I tried fighting him off but, Merlin he's strong. Then I just...I gave up and he stopped. Then he left."

Blaise felt himself go numb and was sure that whatever color resided in his pale cheeks had just drained. The picture she had just painted for him was vivid and horrifying. He could see Draco holding her down, the sneer of a devil on his face, and her flailing tearfully and uselessly against him. He bristled internally, and it took all his strength and resolve to keep the typhoon of rage that crashed over him at that moment at bay. It cost him dearly to refrain from visibly revealing how upset he truly was, to keep his hands from balling into fists, his jaw from tightening, or his body from either shaking or going completely still.

"I see," he murmured quietly to keep his terse tone from being too noticeable.

"You're upset," Ginny said in dejection. "I shouldn't have told you, I knew I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, please don't be mad at him, he didn't mean it, I swear. He thought I was just after sex."

For some reason, this simply caused another wave of fury to crash over him, but Blaise inhaled slowly and forced himself into calm. "I'm not upset," he said trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to reassure Ginny. He took her shoulders firmly and said, "Are you alright?"

"I..." Again, the tears pricked at her eyes visibly. "I will be. I know he didn't mean it."

Blaise pulled her into the safety of her arms then, wanting nothing more than to protect her. To make her okay _now_. He knew it wasn't enough, but he murmured, "That you're okay; that's all that matters." Then he kissed the top of her head to comfort her. Resting his head against hers, he sighed quietly.

Suddenly, he realized he'd made a mistake. He'd let down his walls and lost himself in the moment.

Quickly he released her and stepped away. He felt exposed and didn't want to look at her, but knew he had to. If he looked away from her it would show her how vulnerable and exposed she had made him. He couldn't allow that. He pulled himself back together and smirked at her. "That's the second time you've let me kiss you today, Ginny. I think you may have a thing for more than one Slytherin." How he wished that were true. Internally disgruntled, he pushed that thought out of mind and continued to grin.

Ginny stared at him for a moment before glaring. "Well, it's the last time, too, you bloody git!" she spat before turning on her heels and storming away.

Blaise collapsed against the wall again, momentarily exhausted by the effort he'd exerted to keep Ginny ignorant of his true feelings. Then the anger returned, bursting out from behind his mental block and he took off in the direction of the Slytherin dungeon.

**8**

When she'd told him what had transpired between her and Draco, Ginny was sure that Blaise would explode. His eyes had darkened briefly and he was still for a moment. To Ginny he seemed more in shock than upset. Then he blinked and murmured a simple, "I see," through his teeth.

"You're upset," she decided verbally, saddened by the prospect of turning Blaise against Draco. From the way he'd rushed from the room she knew Draco was already beating himself up over it enough without having Blaise at his throat as well.

"I shouldn't have told you," she added then. "I knew I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, please don't be mad at him, he didn't mean it, I swear. He thought I was just after sex."

His eyes darkened again and Ginny decided, too late, that was the wrong thing to say. She could imagine the rage boiling beneath the surface and winced internally in apprehension. He was going to rave any moment now, or rush off to kill Draco. She wasn't sure which.

"I'm not upset," Blaise told her, and it threw Ginny completely how calm he sounded. She could have sworn he was upset, at least unsettled, but he seemed completely unperturbed. "Are you alright?"

"I-I will be," Ginny asserted, even as tears welled up in her eyes. Annoyed at herself for being so weak, she blinked them away and added, "I know he didn't mean it."

Suddenly, she was in his arms, her own were crushed against his chest between them. He held her close and murmured, "That you're okay; that's all that matters." He kissed the top of her head and rested his head against hers. Her heart was thumping against her chest as she wondered wildly where this had come from. He sighed then, and just as quickly as he had pulled her to him, he let go and stepped away. Dazed and confused, Ginny allowed her arms to drop to her side as she stared at him.

He smirked, throwing her off again, and said, "That's the second time you've let me kiss you today, Ginny. I think you may have a thing for more than one Slytherin."

She stared at him as he grinned at her and she realized that it had been a ploy. He just wanted to tease her, as if she hadn't been through enough today!

"Well it's the last time, too, you bloody git!"

With that, she turned on her heels and rushed away. Why? Why was Blaise toying with her like this? Was it all a game to him? Did he care about her at all? Sure, he'd said he did. He'd said her well-being was all that mattered, but he'd just been teasing the whole time. If he didn't care, she decided, then neither would she.

**A/N: Whooo. Yay, I'm finally done with chapter 8. Sorry about that, again. I tend to have troubles writing chapters 3 and 8 on all my stories and all the crap that's happened wasn't helping me at all. Ah well, it's done now. Yay...Again! Anyway...I tried to show how much Blaise tried to stay introverted and how much he actually hides from Ginny. How did I do? Tell me through review!**

**Speaking of review...**

**Review Responses:**

**Demon-childe619: Muahaha! Curiosity killed the cat, but hopefully satisfaction brought you back. Yay, updates! Oh! Twilght, I read that two. Not as well written as Harry Potter, but pretty good. About the pics, as I mentioned in my Author Notes the creatie juices...haven't been flowing, so I haven't really worked on them yet. Now that the old gears are turning again, though, maybe I can focus on those soon!**

**Sympathetic Me: Thanks! Well, Blaise just realized it himself, so...as soon as he stops being dumb and lets her know how he feels without teasing her maybe something can happen. -glares at him-**

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**SHOUT OUT and big props to my new beta, Somer. You are quite the amazing person.**


	9. The list

**A/N: Hey guys! So! Chapter 8 is done and I'm working on chapter nine as I look for a beta reader. I just wanted to say that if I **_**ever**_** take that long to update again, feel free to email me a rant about how you want an update, although I'm pretty sure things won't ever get that b ad again.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter the sixth year would have turned out much differently. I promise.**

Ginevera sighed heavily.

It was the sigh that roused her from her daydreaming long enough to realize that all hopes of doing her homework that night had been abandoned long ago. Glancing down at her books absently, Ginny realized that she'd been on the same page since arriving at the library nearly an hour ago. Carelessly, she closed the book and continued with her reverie.

She needed to talk to Draco. She had decided this not long after returning to the Gryffindor Tower late Saturday night. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to get him alone.

_Blaise would be able to help_, she thought, but immediately discarded the idea. She was still upset about him teasing her after what she'd gone through. She desperately wished there was someone she could talk to, but the only other person who knew what was going on wasn't speaking to her.

"A sickle for your thoughts?"

Ginny started at the voice and turned to see that Harry had joined her. He sat across the table watching her with guarded curiosity. His body was turned away from her, though, toward the exit. The statement he made was clear. I'm willing to listen, but I don't _have_ to be here.

"Are you sure you want to spend that much on something you won't even like," Ginny asked as she turned toward him fully and looked down at her books once more. After a moments silence she glanced up past her fringe to see Harry looking away. His jaw clenched and he looked at her once more.

"I'm sure I already have a good idea of it," Harry informed her flatly. "Just say it. You're thinking about _him_."

"I am," she said as she straightened, "but I'm also thinking about Blaise...and about you, Harry." He started at that and turned slightly toward her.

"I miss you," Ginny confessed with a sheepish look. "I hate to think that I've lost your friendship, and I hate the way you look at me now. I wish that things could go back to the way they were, but I know that can't happen. I just want your friendship, Harry."

The look her gave her then was pained, and he turned away with a frustrated sigh. His finger found their way to his hair as he tussled it, a nervous habit he'd developed. Finally, he looked at her once more with sad eyes.

"Why'd you have to go falling for him, of all the guys in this school?" He shook his head. "You know, he's practically my arch nemesis. I mean, he's right up there with the worst of them." To illustrate his point he raised his arm and angled his hand to be parallel with the table. "On the list of people I hate most it's Voldemort, Snape, and then Draco."

"I know," Ginny murmured, looking down at the table shamefully, "but it's not like I made a conscious choice to like him. It just happened."

"What could do even _see_ in a snake like him?"

"I see..." Ginny began slowly, biting back a sharp retort, "a vulnerability about him. There's more to him than he likes to let on, but I've seen him in here. When he's reading, his walls are down and I see the kindness in him. I know there's something more to him than what everyone thinks."

Harry watched her for a moment, as though trying to see what more there was to her. He leaned forward and rested his chin against the palm of his hand as he asked, "So where does Zabini fit into all this? You said you were thinking about him, too. Please don't tell me you have a crush on both of them."

Flushing Ginny hissed, "I don't! There's no way I'd crush on a jerk like Blaise!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Harry said as he grinned.

"I'm not!" Ginny insisted, bristling with anger. "Why is everyone teasing me about that! "

Harry's eyebrows shot up at this and he said, "Everyone? Maybe it's true then, if _everyone_ is picking up on it. Did Malfoy tease you about it, too? Is that why you seem so down today?"

"Oh shut up," Ginny snapped as she leaned away from him, seething. "That's _not_ why I'm upset, and anyway he _didn't_ tease me!"

"Okay," Harry conceded, laughing as he held his hands up in surrender. "I get it. Now, are you going to tell me what Zabini has to do with anything or not?"

Huffing, Ginny glared at him for a minute more before admitting, "He taught me to Tango." When Harry maintained a bemused expression, she continued, "Last week he taught me a dance and we performed it together at the Slytherin party on Saturday."

Harry's eyes furrowed at that and he muttered through clenched teeth, "You two danced the tango together?"

"Yeah, but only so I could get Draco's attention," Ginny informed him quickly, "and it worked."

"I'm sure," Harry murmured, sounding annoyed. Ginny shot him a look of inquiry, but he merely shook his head and asked, "So...did you manage to get him to show his 'vulnerable' side?"

"No," Ginny said dejectedly. "The whole thing was ruined, because he thought I was partaking in some sort of list. He yelled at me for just trying to get sex and then stormed off."

"_What_!"

"Shh! Harry, we're in the library!"

Quieting from a shout to a hiss, Harry asked incredulously, "He actually thought you'd partake in something so...so..." Harry made a face of disgust, unable to find words descriptive enough for his emotions.

Briefly entranced by the strength of his disgust, Ginny didn't immediately processes his reactions. After a moment, however, she realize, "Wait! You know about the list?"

"Of course I do," Harry said matter-of-factly, shrugging a little. "I'm on the top."

"So what is it," Ginny asked as she leaned closer to him.

"It's...it's despicable," Harry informed her flatly. "I don't know exactly how it came about, but according to rumor it started as a dare. Some girl dared another to try getting either me or Malfoy - I'm not sure which of us, exactly - in bed. It escalated from there and now there's a whole list of about ten or twenty guys. You start at the bottom of the list and work your way up to the top."

"Merlin, that's just...just _wrong_," Ginny murmured, put off. "Who would want to do something like that? It's so degrading."

"We don't know," Harry said with a sigh of annoyance. "The story changes depending on what house spins it. Some say that Slytherin girls started it, some say the Gryffindors. The Ravenclaw girls have even been accused."

"No wonder Draco was upset," Ginny said, shaking her head. "If I knew there was a group of people using me as a form of entertainment, I'd be upset, too."

"Yeah, he's not the only one pissed," Harry said frowning. "Although, I heard that he found out about the list sometime last week. Apparently, he bit the girl who told him on the chest when she told him. Right in the middle of...snogging. He made her bleed." At that, he laughed hollowly. "For the sake of whoever started the list, I hope Malfoy's not the one to ferret her out."

Ginny shivered at the thought before asking, "What _will_ the guys on the list do when they find out who started it?"

"I dunno," Harry admitted with a shrug. "Some of them won't do anything, they consider it an easy lay. Whoever's on the list won't have a respectable choice of dates, though. Which is ironic in a way."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "Do you know who's on it, besides you and Draco?"

"Well, Blaise is third," Harry said slowly as he tried to remember. "I think Dean Thomas and Thomas Knott are on there somewhere, too. Oh...and Ron's on the very bottom."

"Ew, gross! I did _not_ need to hear that," Ginny said giggling. Then a thought occurred to her and she paled before cringing. "Wait...you said that some one got all the way to Draco that means...oh ew!"

"Yeah, that means Ron's not a virgin," Harry said laughing. "He's finally beat me at something."

Ginny buried her head in her arms. "I don't want to hear this!" After a moment, though, she raised her head and added, "Well, if he's not a virgin he has to right to tell me not to kiss who I want!"

The mention of her kissing whoever she wanted brought the memory of the kiss she'd shared with Draco to the forefront of both their minds. The mood darkened quickly and Ginny stared at Harry, horrified at herself. Clenching his jaw, Harry stood and excused himself.

"Wait!" Ginny called after him as quietly and yet urgently as she could. He didn't respond, and Ginny was left watching his back retreat from her before he disappeared through the doorway altogether.

"Merlin, I'm an idiot," she proclaimed too late. With a sigh, Ginny looked down at her things and decided there was nothing more she could do here. Not for anything that mattered, and she certainly didn't feel like doing homework now. Defeated, she gathered her things and left the library as well.

**A/N: So, this came across as something of a filler chapter, I know, but there was a lot of valuable stuff in here. I had to get Harry back into the game for what's to come, and now you all know a little bit more about the list that caused so much misunderstanding in chapter 7.**

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	10. Reconciliations and Realizations

**A/N: Okay, so, sorry that it's taken me soooo long to get this chapter up. I had a wee bit of writers' block, but I have decided to press forward and onward despite my lack of inspiration. If this ends up sounding forced and filler-like I apologize. Also, if it isn't the best grammar wise, I apologize, but more on that later.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I only own the plot.**

Draco and Blaise were not talking.

The tension between the two was so palpable that the entire Slytherin house had noticed, not to mention a few students from other houses.

"-still can't believe it," Hermione was saying as she, Ron, and Harry took seats at the Gryffindor table.

"Yeah, I never thought Zabini and the git would find anything to fight about," Ron said. Ginny's ears perked at this and she turned her head slightly to hear better. "What do you think managed to turn them against one another."

Ginny peered at the trio through the corners of her eyes and saw Harry glance at her similarly before murmuring, "Who knows. Probably some girl."

Ginny tensed as Ron snorted. The male redhead continued to snigger as he said, "Yeah, I guess Parkinson was bound to come between them eventually."

Ginny let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as those around trio laughed. It was now a well known fact that Pansy was not favorite to either Slytherin.

Ginny turned her attention back to her food, but she had lost her appetite. She knew as well as Harry that she was the cause of the tension between Draco and Blaise.

_Idiot_, she thought as she pushed her food around her plate, _why bother hurting your friendship with Draco over someone you don't even really care about?_

_Unless he does care_, came an errant thought from the back of her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. It didn't matter if the thought was well placed or not. She wanted to be with Draco, not Blaise. The same voice form the back of her mind questioned why she had to remind herself of this so often recently, but it was again brushed aside.

**10**

Even if the obvious tension between Draco and Blaise _had_ gone unnoticed by their housemates the fight that caused it did not. It was the source of talk throughout the entire house since it's occurrence the night of the party, quickly pushing Pansy's embarrassment out of the spotlight.

Blaise had stormed into the common room and immediately confronted Draco. The row had escalated quickly from there and those who had edged closer to hear the discussion no longer needed the advantage, as Draco and Blaise's shouting had filled the room. Despite this, the only information anyone managed to glean from the fight was that it was _indeed_ about a girl. It was for this reason Blaise and Draco were not speaking to one another.

Blaise had later regretted arguing with Draco so publicly as it only furthered Draco's anger with him. He had never seen his friend so mad, but he had also never felt so enraged as he had that night. Or so protective of someone.

Especially a Gryffindor.

It was becoming increasingly obvious to Blaise that he harbored some sort of feelings for Ginny. When they had first developed he had deemed them as friendship, but now…

Now it was harder to deny the fact that what he felt for her was certainly more than friendship. Definitely different than what he felt toward Draco. Which did not bode well for Blaise's hopes to reestablish the kinship between himself and the blond.

He didn't dare attempt to imagine how things between them would be if he were to step onto the playing field. It was now Thursday, and still Draco was giving Blaise the cold shoulder. As far as Blaise could tell, he wasn't planning on warming over for some time, either. Ginny was equally cold to him.

_Why is it_, he couldn't help but think, _that when I do the right thing everyone hates me for it? This is why I just do as I please, even if things end poorly I can at least say I satisfied my desires._

With all the frigidity being shoved as a wall against him, Blaise was caught completely off guard after dinner when Ginny managed to confront him solitarily by means of an unused passageway after dinner.

"I need you."

Those were certainly not the words he was expecting, much like the warmth which bloomed in his chest. It was quickly doused.

"I really want to talk to Draco, but he's been avoiding me," Ginny informed him. Why he had allowed that strange feeling - that…hope? - to blossom when she was glaring at him with clear distaste, Blaise did not know. Still, at least she was speaking to him again in her clear voice that rang like bells…

"Are you listening?" Blaise offered nothing more than a curt nod as a response. "Good. I need you to arrange a meeting for me with Draco."

Blaise paused briefly before saying, "Draco and I aren't exactly on speaking terms."

"So?"

"So getting him to agree to anything may be a problem."

Ginny tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes as she examined Blaise. "Fix it," was all she said before leaving him to stand alone.

Later that night, Blaise would find himself in a similar situation.

He was sitting alone in the boys' dormitory trying to figure out a way to fix his friendship enough with Draco to arrange a meeting between him and Ginny.

_Perhaps_, he mused, _ by simply offering to arrange a meeting, I can mend thing. We've never been the kind to address an issue directly._

Part of Blaise desperately wanted to make a correlation between this and his feelings for Ginny, but he firmly silenced it.

The door opened then, and Draco walked in coolly, as though he didn't notice Blaise sitting on the bed directly next to his. He opened his trunk and began rummaging through it. Blaise intentionally ignored his existence although he was mentally tracking Draco's every movement.

Eventually, Draco straightened, having found whatever he was searching for. Instead of walking to the door, as Blaise had expected him to, however, Draco crossed the short distance between their beds and dropped something onto the bed next to Blaise. Without glancing at Draco, Blaise allowed his eyes to rest on the object. He was surprised to see that it was a stuffed dragon.

_That_…

"When we were six," Draco said slowly, "you gave this to me and asked me to be your friend. It's the first toy I ever remember owning, and the only one I own now. It…has always been my most…cherished gift. Since that day, we've never fought. Not once."

Blaise slowly lifted his gaze to meet Draco's and tacitly he knew this was an apology. He gently lifted the stuffed dragon to be level with his chest and gazed at it once more. He remembered that day, the day they met. They're father's were meeting for business matters and they were told to go entertain themselves.

'_Why don't you show you Blaise your quarters, Draco,' Lucius had suggested offhandedly._

'_Yes father,' Draco had answered automatically. He'd led Blaise up the stairs without so much as a glance back at his father. Blaise _had_ paused, however, and caught his father's eyes as Lucius stepped away to led him toward his office. Blaise's father had smiled, waved, and followed. Blaise did the same._

'_These are my quarters,' Draco had informed Blaise, waving a hand about in the air to indicate the room into which they had stepped. It had been a large room with a book case running along two walls, a sitting chair with a lamp in the corner and a desk pressed against another wall. It had been the saddest room Blaise had ever seen._

_Until he had seen the actual bedroom, that is._

'_Where are all the toys,' Blaise remembered having said._

'_Toys,' Draco had repeated in bewilderment. So Blaise had pulled the dragon from his bag and had shown it to Draco. He had been so amazed by the toy that Blaise decided he should have it._

Blaise rose from the bed, pressing the memories of the past back into the recesses of his mind where they belonged. Slowly, he extended the hand he held the toy in toward Draco, offering it to him once more.

"Then you should hold onto it," was all he said - was all the needed said. Draco accepted the gift graciously, although without the wide grin he'd worn back then.

"Now, about why you're really here," Blaise said as Draco placed the toy gently back into his trunk and closed the lid. He straightened and offered an almost sheepish smile to Blaise - if Malfoy's were capable of such things.

**10**

Ginny could not believe the bold and audacious behavior she had exhibited in front of Blaise. It was so unlike her in everyway. In fact, it was almost…Slytherin. She shivered at the thought.

_It was only because I was so mad_, she reasoned._ I was mad at Blaise for the way he'd treated me, and I was mad that he was stupid enough o go ruining his relationship with Blaise! That's the only reason I acted that way._

Despite her reasoning, the fact remained that she had acted very bold. It was a wonder to her that Blaise did not retaliate in any form. It wasn't very Slytherin of him to let her reign over him as she had, was it. Yet that was exactly what he had done.

Perhaps…but of course the very thought that Blaise might have feelings for her was ridiculous.

_But it's not ridiculous that __**Draco **__should have feelings for you_, that same rebellious voice from the back of her mind questioned. All at once the signs she had been ignoring presented themselves to her minds eye with stark detail. Blaise warning her about Draco, the way Blaise would sometimes look at her during her lessons, the electricity she had felt between them that time as he teased her and pulled her to her feet and into his arms, the kiss he'd bestowed on her at the dance, his look as Draco embraced her from behind before he slipped into the crowd, how he had found her so quickly after her escape from the party, his strange behavior and the second kiss, and, last of all, the way he was allowing her to walk all over him.

All this came to Ginny's mind, and all her doubt was washed away. Blaise did have feelings for her, and he was trying to hide them for either her sake or Draco's.

_But I want to be with __**Draco**_, she mentally protested.

_Is that __**really**__ what you want, _the rebellious voice questioned. _You never even considered Blaise. Now you know he is available to you, and he has feelings for you._

"It doesn't _matter_."

"What doesn't matter?"

Ginny jumped at the voice and whipped around to find Blaise gazing at her with guarded curiosity. She realized that once again he had caught her speaking aloud to herself. She stared at him blankly, her mind buzzing and whirling in an attempt to find something to respond with.

"Never mind," Blaise murmured, shaking his head. And in that simple gesture, Ginny saw all of his defeat and she felt her heart break for him as her mind supplied the words he had not spoken, but that weighed down upon the air about them all the same.

It doesn't matter.

"I just wanted to let you know," Blaise began slowly, breaking the silence, "that Draco will be waiting for you in the Room of Requirements tonight at ten."

Blaise turned to walk away, this time leaving Ginny alone, staring after him. Before he could disappear from sight, however, Ginny called out to him.

"Blaise, wait!" He paused and slowly turned to look at her, his face void of all emotion. "Thank you," Ginny murmured. "For everything."

Blaise stared at her for another moment and something the very much resembled pain or confusion flashed across his eyes before he whipped around and stormed away, as though offended.

Ginny knew better, though.

**A/N: Okay, so, I promise that there is a good excuse for any poor grammar or spelling. I want to take this chance to give a shout out to Nightingale Angel who asked me to put up the next chapter as a Christmas gift. Alas, by the time I received the review it was Christmas Eve and with so many parties, family, and friends to visit I did not have the chance to finish the chapter. I **_**did**_** make a good start on it and was therefore able to finish it this day, New Years Eve. How appropriate, right? My New Years Resolution is to stay the course and finish this story in due time! Anyway, as I am eager to put this chapter up I have not sent it through my beta. Sorry about that, and Happy New Years to all! And now...**

**REVIEW RESPONSES!!!**

**CH 1**

**rowan-greenleaf: OMG how long have you been reading this!!!! OMG! OMG! I loooooooooove your stories! GDS and TWI are, like, two of my faaaaaavorite stories! You do know that The World Inverted was the first story to get me to squeal like a maniac in SOOOO LOOOONG! I put that in my review right? And now you are READING MY STORY! OMG! I'm so excited!!! Um...ehm...-ehem-...onto the response to your actual review now... . **

**Yaaaaaaaay! I'm glad my story is relatable! Of course, I am also an avid Draco/Ginny shipper, but I have found that Blaise/Ginny can be quite a lot of fun, too. I had to cast Draco in a poor light a little bit so that Blaise could take center stage in this comedy. I will redeem him in the following chapter, because I just loooooove Draco too much to let anybody hate or dislike him for too long. I was hoping that the revalation of the list would help cast him in a better light after the incident with Ginny. He just REALLY hates to be used, and being who he is people tend to try to use him quite a bit. There IS a deeper reason for Ginny's attraction to Draco than just looks. I touched on it in an earlier chapter, but I will try to delve into more later.**

**CH 2**

**rowan-greenleaf: I just realized that you have reviewed each chapter seperately and I feel soooo spoiled! XD It's funny, I didn't really notice the irony when I wrote this, but now that you mention it...**

**Sophia: Thank you! Although, she had Harry are doomed. Their relationship barely made the cuttingroom floor. The funniest thing is, I don't think Blaise even realizes that he's flirting with her yet.**

**CH 3**

**rowan-greenleaf: Now I understand why you thought he needed redemption when I'd thought I'd redeemed him. You just hadn't read that part yet.**

**CH 4**

**rowan-greenleaf: Yay, I'm glad I am doing well. I've really always thought of Harry as the sweet heart, romantic guy while Draco would be the bad boy type. I guess that makes Blaise the silent guardian type? Maybe...**

**CH 5**

**rowan-greenleaf: Secretly it's an excuse to get Ginny alone with him. Muahahaha! Subconsciously! XD Anyway, the real reason is that, Draco comes from such a well-to-do family where throwing dances is the norm. Therefore, if you can't dance then you've got no chance. He chose Tango, because it such an intense dance. If you want to grab a well-to-do guy's attention what better way than to engange a tango with him? Of course Ginny ends up doing the tango with Blaise and it is in this way the plan to put her indeffinitely with Draco is undone. (Plus, have you ever seen people tango? It's so smexy.)**

**CH 6**

**rowan-greenleaf: She IS pretty darn lucky with men, isn't she?**

**CH 7**

**rowan-greenleaf: You know, the funniest thing is that Ginny sympathizes with Draco more than with herself, too. I mean, her initial reaction was shock, but after that she was thinking completely about how terrible Draco must feel for what he did. That might have been something of a cloak for herself, too, though. If she thinks that he didn't mean it, then it doesn't mean anything. It was just a misunderstanding and it wouldn't have happened had things been sorted out correctly. Poor Blaise get the brunt of the anger. XD He kind of asked for it, though.**

**CH 8:**

**rowan-greenleaf: Alas, yes, it is a Ginny/Blaise. I promise there are still some Ginny/Draco moments to come if that's any consolation.**

**CH 9:**

**kiss-of-pain: Thank you for adding my story to your favorites list.**

**snowfire81: Your review made me giggle hardcore. Ginny, of course, can't realize she love Blaise yet or there would be no story. So, you see, I torture these characters for the enjoyment of my lovely readers. As you see in this chapter, though, she's getting there. It's taken her ten chapters to realize he liked her, after all.**

**Saphira00: Thank you for adding my story to your alerts! By the way, is that Saphira as in from the Inheritence series? I love Chistopher Paolini.**

**Sympathetic Me: Thanks. Yes, a mixture of writers' block and procrastination stall me quite a bit. You write? Hm...I may have to wonder off to find your stories...**

**hecate0808: Why thank you.**

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**Bella O: Read it in a night! Oh my goodness! Yay for sleep deprevation! XD (Seriously, though I hope it didn't cause too much damage...the sleep deprivation, I mean.) Yeah, I've noticed that, too. I don't understand why people feel they have to villize Harry in order for Ginny to get with Draco or Blaise. Drama, I guess, but Harry isn't evil. Sometimes, Ginny just needs a wee bit more excitment. Although, there is an author who has villified him and I still love her work!**

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**rowan-greenleaf: That is definitely the reason the list is in that order. It goes from most attainable to least attainable. (That explains why Ron is on the bottom.) I'm glad you didn't notice, too, because I am LOVING these reviews. I will be putting up a G/D soon, though. After this story gets put up.**

**xBlackRoses12x: Yay! I'm glad you like it!**

**springingawake1894: I know, she's soooo freaking lucky that way. I'm surprised it hasn't caused any drama with the creators of the list. Then again, they have been humbled by the biting Draco incident.**

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**Nightingale Angel: Thank you for adding my story to your alerts. I'm glad you loved it, and feel free to rush me anytime. I tend to procrastinate if not needled. Unfortunatly, I could not get this up for Christmas, but it is up in time for New Years! Also, in case you did not read the ending Authors Note, I made a shout out to you. A belated Christmas gift and a thanks for giving me reason to get my rear in gear.**


	11. What is he hiding?

**A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! I know, I know. I'm a terrible, terrible person for making you all wait **_**such**_** a looooooooong time for my next chapter and for that I apologize. I _promised_ to be a good author and update regularly, and I broke that promise. For that, I apologize. I will try to be a better author from here on out, but I can make no promises. I'll update you all on what's going on in my life in the second author's note. As for **_**now**_**, on to the…**

**Disclaimer: All I really own are my poor updating habits, everything in my room, a cake pan, a strainer, and a bathroom trashcan. See? Not that much. :)**

Blaise had hesitated for only a short time after speaking with Draco. He wasn't quite sure at first where he should go to look for Ginny. He couldn't exactly show up at the Gryffindor Tower asking for her.

_Then again…_

He briefly allowed himself the pleasure of imagining such a scenario. It was hard to decide which would make for a more amusing incident – if Weasley answered his beckoning, or if Potter did.

It didn't really matter, as Blaise had no idea where the Gryffindor Tower was located, and he could hardly imagine any of the Gryffindors willingly showing him. Anyway, he didn't feel like putting that much effort to it. If worse came to worse, Draco would simply have to wait until the morrow when Blaise could pull her aside after dinner.

That's when it hit Blaise; the library. Ginny was almost as bad as Granger, the amount of time she spent in that area of the school. Still, it was his best bet, and it wasn't that far off, so Blaise dutifully headed to the Library.

He found her walking very slowly in the corridor just before the Library. She was obviously thinking very deeply about something, and Blaise wondered what it might be. Hoping to possibly figure out how her mind worked, Blaise slowed his pace as well and watched her thinking. Really, when her face was all scrunched up like that, she looked pretty cute. Maybe…he could convince her to study with him and he could see her looking like that more often…

His thoughts were interrupted by Ginny's assertion of, "It doesn't matter."

"What doesn't matter?" The questions left his lips before he'd even really managed to consider it. He was surprised by it as much as Ginny was. He didn't jump, though, or whip around to find out who had spoken.

Blaise watched Ginny stare at him for a long moment. Was she thinking about what to say, he wondered, or was she simply wondering why he was speaking to her? Obviously that would be the case, if he was just a means to an end.

Which was true, he realized. The only reason Ginny had ever spoken to him was because she wanted to get to Draco. That was the only reason they had spent as much time together as they had.

Blaise felt almost deflated upon making this realization and muttered, "Never mind."

_It __**doesn't **__matter, _Blaise continued to himself, _No matter what I feel. It doesn't matter, because you just don't see me. Not really._

Suddenly, all Blaise wanted to do was be alone. He didn't want to look at her. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to hear her voice. He didn't want anything to do with her, it just hurt to much.

But he had come here for a reason. He had something to do, and he'd be damned if he didn't do it. It was what she wanted. What they both wanted – her _and_ Draco.

"I just wanted to let you know," Blaise began slowly, each word a traitor on his tongue, "that Draco will be waiting for you in the Room of Requirements tonight at ten."

It seemed to take all his resolve to force that sentence out. So, feeling completely empty, Blaise turned to leave Ginny to her happiness. He could do this, he told himself. He just needed time to close everything up again. To not care, and he would be able to manage this.

"Blaise, wait!"

He stopped short. He didn't dare hope. He didn't dare turn around and face her, but he had to. So he carefully locked everything up. He shut everything off, and slowly he turned to face her – an empty, emotionless shell.

"Thank you." Her words were like a knife, stabbing right into his heart. "For everything." The knife twisted, making a gaping wound and he felt everything he'd been holding back rush out. The pain, the hope, the loss. Everything.

He whipped around, hoping to hide it from her; he couldn't let her see. His mind too full to care what happened next, Blaise hurried off down the nearest corridor.

_Why?_ He felt his throat constricting and the urge to scream overtook him.

_**Why? **_Something was burning in his eyes.

_**WHY?!**_ His mind was screaming. Blaise was running. He found himself on the seventh floor and began pacing. A door appeared beside him and he wrenched it open. He went in, slamming the door behind him.

And found himself in a dance studio.

_The_ dance studio.

_Their_ dance studio.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. He didn't really want to.

Blaise screamed.

He fell to his knees, and slammed his fists against the ground. It didn't alleviate any of the pain, as he had hoped. It only added to it. Weakly, as if in retaliation, Blaise raised his right fist again and let it slam down once more.

"_Why is she doing this to me?_"

He wasn't sure who he was asking. No one answered.

_Doesn't she have any idea how I feel_, he continued mentally. _Doesn't she? She can't. If she did, she wouldn't have thanked me. If she did…if she did she would tell me she doesn't care about me. She'd tell me that I **was** just a means to an end. She'd tell me to get over it. She do that rather than thank me. It wouldn't hurt as much if she'd just hate me._

If Blaise wasn't who he was, if he was a weaker person - or, perhaps, a stronger one - he might have broken down in tears at that moment. But Blaise _was_ who he was, so he did not cry.

**11**

Draco felt...edgy.

He was agitated and impatient waiting for Blaise, who had been gone for close to two hours now. Others might have been worried or anxious knowing this, but not Draco. Others weren't Draco, and Draco Malfoy certainly wasn't like others. _He_ didn't feel worried or anxious.

But he _did _feel edgy. Too edgy to focus on the homework he'd gotten out to distract himself with.

It wasn't as if Draco needed to be concerned for Blaise. He didn't think anything bad could have happened to him between the Slytherin common room and finding Ginny.

_He should have been back by now, though_, Draco thought to himself.

After all, there was really only one place Blaise would find her at this time of night. It was after dinner, nearly nine in fact. No one went out on the grounds after sunset, so she wouldn't be outside. It wasn't as if she'd be in class. After dinner, most students hung out in the common room so, really there were only two places Ginny _could_ be. Draco knew Blaise wouldn't try the Gryffindor Tower, it wasn't like this was an urgent matter. Draco had waited this long to do anything already, he could wait another day.

Which left the one place Blaise was likely to look, and where Ginny was likely to be - the Library.

_It doesn't take this long to get to the library and back_, Draco thought in frustration. _Even if Ginny __**was**__ there._

It was at that moment Blaise returned. He looked around the common room quickly, spotting Draco easily and moving toward him brusquely. Blaise dropped down into the armchair beside Draco, but said nothing.

Draco turned to Blaise as he sat. "Well?"

Blaise didn't so much as glance at Draco. He stared into the flames trying to decide which of Draco's simultaneously spoken questions to answer. He settled with the more obvious one, "It's all set."

Draco nodded his approval and watched Blaise for another moment before asking, "Did the library grow since the last time I was there?"

Blaise said nothing for a moment. Draco might have wondered if Blaise had heard him, if he didn't know Blaise better.

"Got distracted," he said finally. "Books. You know."

Draco was about to tell him that he _did_ know, as it so happens, and what he _did know_ was that Blaise wasn't telling him everything. Or, at least, something along those lines.

He didn't get the chance, however, as Blaise chose that moment to stand up. "Night," he said before heading up to their dormitory. Draco watched him retreating and wondered what he was trying to get away from.

_What's he hiding?_

**A/N: This...isn't exactly the chapter I wanted to write.... It just goes to show you how little sway over a story an author really has. Aaaaaaaaaaanyway. I thought I'd tell you what's happened recently with me. I moved. Half way across the country from Michigan to Colorado. I was busy for a time looking for a job and for a while after that settling in. Which explains some of my slowness with updating, but doesn't really excuse it. I just thought I'd let you all know. And nooooow...**

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

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**Sympathetic Me: Yeah, I've been getting that comment a lot recently. "I want her to be with both." Alas, this is not that sort of story - although they are mucho fun.**

**springawakening1894: He _is_ a sweetie, isn't he? I can't wait either. Neither of them seem to want to speak to one another...or me. Which may be part of why that was delayed a chapter... .**

**FrozenTeardrop: Thanks for adding my story to your alerts and favorites. You name reminds me of another, sillier, HP fanfic I did. It involved a muggle parenting class in which a more excentric version of Blaise named his (chicken) egg "Single-lingering-tear-drop-on-the-tip-of-an-eye-lash." Or "Single" for short, in case anyone's eggs are looking. I wrote that to help alleviate writers block...**

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**Yay for empty inboxes! I always feel so accomplished when I can delete the reviews from my email. For those of you who don't know, I leave them in there until I finish a chapter. They help remind me to keep going! Thanks to all of you for all your support and appreciation! I couldn't do it without you! Seriously! I just don't have that kind of self motivation. XD  
**


	12. Apologies

1**A/N: I...am finding it very difficult to write an apologetic Draco Malfoy. I mean, really, that's an oxymoron. Or a paradox. Or something. It just doesn't happen. It's like saying, "I watched an inoffensive South Park last night." Don't get me wrong. I looooooove South Park, but it **_**is**_** an offensive show. I've just learned not to take it too personally, because South Park is completely unprejudiced in its offense. South Park makes fun of everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter...or South Park. Although I live close by to the latter.**

Blaise didn't go to bed. Draco knew, because when he went to his dormitory to put away his bag, Blaise was lying flat on his back reading a book. Or pretending to, at least. Draco left his bag on his bed, glanced at Blaise, and left.

Now he stood in the Room of Requirements waiting for Ginny. His requests had conjured a room that was neither large nor small. The lighting was dim, but not romantic. It had comfortable looking chairs Draco knew would not be used, but which remained. In a word, it was _comfortable_. Draco felt at ease standing in that room waiting for Ginny. He slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled in his Malfoy way.

His mind wandered back to the last time he'd been in this room with Ginny. It was during the dance. He tried to imagine how the night might have progressed had he not assumed Ginny was only after a quick lay. He couldn't. The truth was he had no idea how Ginny's mind worked. He had assumed that she was a mindless drone who followed her brother and Potter around. A subordinate. A groupie.

When he realized that she was watching him, he wasn't sure what to think. She never approached him; simply watched. He decided she wasn't a mindless drone, at least. She had good taste, but she was a coward. She was, ultimately, leashed in by her brother and her blood-traitor family.

Then she started dating Potter. Draco was very disappointed, until he realized she was still watching him. Then when those two broke up…

He smiled at the memory.

That had been the other experience he'd shared with Ginny in this room.

He hadn't expected Ginny too peak around the door and start blathering apologies at him. Then again, he hadn't expected to be smacked in the head with the door on his way out, either. When Harry appeared behind Ginny, Draco realized he had a chance for the perfect revenge.

It had been _delicious_.

And baffling.

Draco had expected Ginny to push him away, or just stand there. He really hadn't expected her to kiss him back, or be such a great kisser. He'd forgotten about Harry rather quickly, but not for very long. He had to admit Potter had a good arm, but the kiss – and the revenge – had definitely been worth the brief nosebleed.

Draco decided soon after that incident that Ginny just knew when opportunity was knocking, and had taken advantage of it. Blaise started disappearing soon after that telling Draco his whereabouts were a secret; his actions a surprise.

"You'll know soon enough," Blaise had informed him on one occasion.

When Ginny showed up at the Slytherin party dancing the tango as if she'd been born to do it, Draco knew what Blaise had been doing and where he'd been. Of all the unexpected things Ginny had done so far, this one was by far the most surprising.

Ginevera Weasley simply denied expectation, Draco had decided. That was all there was to it.

So now, waiting for Ginny to arrive, Draco didn't know what to expect. He decided then that he wouldn't expect anything. He'd just let Ginny be herself and observe.

The "_click!"_ of the door unlatching hit the silent air, and Ginny entered the room. She didn't look at Draco – she didn't even look to see if he was there. She simply closed the door, facing it for a long moment before turning to face Draco.

They were both silent. Despite how comfortable the room was, Draco felt a slight twinge of unease standing there in silence. He raised an eyebrow, as though he expected Ginny to say something – as though she had invited him here rather than the reverse. As far as Ginny knew, that was exactly how it had happened.

"I want you, Draco Malfoy."

Despite his vow not to be surprised by Ginny, to just take it all in - Draco was thrown off by this. He didn't show it, however. That wouldn't be very Malfoy-like of him, after all. Instead he smiled in a "well-of-course-you-do-everyone-does" sort of way.

"And I know you won't apologize for what you did," Ginny continued then, ignoring his smirk, "but I forgive you anyway. I...well I won't say I would have done the same thing, but I understand the reason behind your actions."

For some reason, Draco felt as though he'd been insulted. What did she mean by that? That she _knew_ he wouldn't apologize. What was she trying to say about him? That he didn't know when he'd done wrong? That he didn't have the strength of character to admit it? Who the hell did she think she was, analyzing him? Making assumptions about _who he was_?

Well he'd just have to set her straight.

Draco allowed a frown to crease his handsome features. It wasn't a frown of anger or annoyance, rather, one of disappointment. He crossed to Ginny, making sure to step well within her comfort zone, and leaned forward slightly so they were more at level.

"You can hit me if you want."

"What," Ginny asked, obviously thrown off by his behavior. Draco almost smirked. _Almost_. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he merely straightened and pulled his hand out of his pocket to point at his own cheek.

"Right here," he said, tapping it gently. "Or, I supposed, here." He placed his hand on his chest, splaying his fingers over his heart. "Whichever will make you feel more satisfied. Nothing below the belt, though. Although, I suppose that would be more appropriate. You did say you'd forgiven me, though."

Draco smiled at Ginny now, in an easy manner, and slipped his hand back into his pocket. Ginny simply stood there staring at him. Draco felt victorious. After being surprised by her so many times, he felt accomplished throwing her off so much.

When Ginny still didn't respond, Draco sighed heavily. As if he were dealing with someone simple minded, like a child, Draco murmured, "I'm _apologizing_, Weasley. I'm sorry."

"Ginny."

"What," Draco asked her, leaning forward as if he hadn't quite heard her.

"I said, _'Ginny_,'" the afore-named repeated. "My name...is Ginny. _Ginny._ Not Weaslette. Not Weasley, although that _is_ my last name.

"It's Ginny," she repeated one last time, and waited for a response.

Draco watched her for a moment then said, "_Ginny,_" as if it were the strangest name he had ever heard.

"Yeah, as in Ginevera."

"Ginevera," Draco repeated. "Ginny. Ginevera. Ginny..._Ginevera_. I think I like that one better."

Ginny shrugged. "I guess it's better than being called _Weaslette_."

Draco watched her again for a long moment. Finally he said, "In any case, I _am_ sorry, Ginny. What I did to you was wrong."

"I forgive you," Ginny said sincerely. She paused for a moment before adding, "I don't suppose...you know why I was really at that party?"

"I figured it out."

"You know that I have feelings for you," Ginny said then. She didn't have to ask if he knew, she knew he did. Draco nodded anyway and Ginny continued, "I asked..._Blaise_ to help me get your attention."

For some reason, Draco noticed, Ginny had trouble saying Blaise's name. She blushed slightly and Draco wondered if it was because she was remembering the dance she'd performed or...

But that couldn't be it. He'd know for certain if _that_ was why.

Or maybe he _wouldn't_, but he certainly would soon. The challenge now was how to go about getting the answer out of Ginny without letting her know what he was asking a question.

_Bring the focus back the Blaise_, Draco decided. _Subtly._

This was, of course, easier said than done – as Draco was much better at setting the focus on himself. He was very practiced in the art.

Draco arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her and inquired suggestively, "And how exactly did you manage to get _Blaise's_ attention?"

Ginny paused as she considered what he was saying. Finally she stated, with a coolness that surprised even herself, "I performed a dance of another sort."

Draco's smirk brightened at this, and Ginny realized how he had chosen to take her statement. She would have called him lecherous, if she thought it would affect him any. She knew it wouldn't though.

"What's it matter to _you_ anyway?"

"Well," Draco began slowly, taking a step toward her, "you two _did_ spend an awful lot of time together."

"…So?" Ginny said a little to quickly to sound nonchalant.

"_Alone_," Draco reminded her, taking another step forward.

"A-…and?" Ginny stammered.

"_And_," Draco said, finally stepping close enough to lean down and murmur in her ear, "maybe I feel a little jealous."

"Of what? Nothing happened."

Draco pulled away to hold Ginny's gaze with his own silvery eyes, which dance mischievously. "Really," he pressed, "nothing happened? Nothing at all? If I recall correctly, you mentioned something about kissing him that night at the dance."

"Th-…that was just…"

"…just?"

"Just…just forget it, alright!" Ginny said, pushing him away from her. A crimson stain was seeping into her cheeks, and she couldn't manage to look at him. For Draco, it was all the answer he needed.

Ginny glanced at him briefly before looking resolutely at the floor once more. "I'll see you around, Draco," she murmured, and quickly rushed from the room.

Draco watched her leave with empty eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that Ginny had feelings for Blaise. And there was only little doubt in his mind that Blaise felt same way. It was a small, _small_ seedling of doubt that he would soon eradicate.

Draco felt an unpleasant twinge somewhere near his heart. He pushed it aside as he ran fingers through his hair, mussing it up. He wasn't sure he liked where this was heading.

**A/N: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! This chapter is finally done! You guys seriously have **_**no**_** idea how hard this was for me. For some reason, Draco just kept coming out…wrong. He was a little playful. More like a young Sirius than Draco Malfoy. I finally managed to get him to behave, and…wheeew! It's done! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!**

**CHAPTER REVIEWS**

**snowfire81: Blaise is a big boy, he'll pull through this. I promise!**

**Jevanminx: I know, I'm such a mean author.  
**


	13. Rampant Emotions

**A/N: This is the first time that I've actually wanted to skip over the author's note, because I **_**know**_** what I want to write. Usually I use the author's note as a way to stall briefly. XD**

**Disclaimer: Give you three guesses…and the first two don't count.**

_She has nothing to do with me,_ Blaise informed himself firmly as he watched Ginny rushing down the corridor before him. _She has nothing to do with me_, he thought again, but this time he felt his heart sink. It was true, she had nothing to do with him now that she had what she wanted – what she had always wanted – and it wasn't him.

_She has Draco now_, Blaise mused sullenly, _she doesn't need **me**_**_._**

It was the most painful realization he'd ever come to, but he quickly stuffed those feelings away and pretended he felt nothing. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to do so. It seemed that every time he saw Ginny or thought about her, the feeling slipped right back out past his guard and stabbed at his heart.

_This used to be so easy_, Blaise thought. _Not caring, and pretending not to hurt. Since when did it become so difficult to do? _His eyes strayed to Ginny once more, and he quickly turned round the nearest corner and pretended not to care.

**13**

Ginny stopped as she rounded a corner and fell against the wall. Pressing her knuckles to her chest, over her beating heart, she closed her eyes and tried to _breathe._ Why was it so hard for her to see Blaise? She couldn't even walk down the same corridor as him now. She had tried, but the moment she was about to pass him, she broke into a run.

_What's wrong with me_, she wondered as her heart beat gradually slowed. _First I ran from Draco and now from Blaise. They're going to start thinking I have feelings for him_.

Ginny's thought process paused as she produced and image of Blaise in her mind. _Do I?_

She gave the thought a mental shake and replaced the mental image of Blaise with Draco. _No_, she thought to herself firmly. _No, I **don't**__ have feelings for Blaise. I like **Draco**__. I **want**__ to be with **Draco**_.

Ginny allowed a sigh to escape her lips. _I have to fix this_, she mused. _I have to go to Draco and ask him out on a date or something. I have to let him know that he is** absolutely**__ the one I want to be with. I need to stop wavering so much about this._

Ginny paused to gather her bearings and wondered whether it would be best to look from Draco then or wait to try catching him after dinner. After a moment of indecision, she decided not to go now. It was almost dinner as it was, she might as well wait.

**13**

Draco watched Blaise from the corners of his eyes as he rose from the table and left. Pushing his plate away, he glanced quickly about the table and saw that it was mostly full. Now, he decided, would be the best time to corner Blaise and confront him about his feelings for Ginny.

Whatever they might be.

Draco left the Great Hall discretely, and no one noticed his departure. Not even a certain red haired Gryffindor who'd been glancing at him fervently since the beginning of dinner.

Ginny looked up as she finished her peas to glance at Draco again, but she found his seat empty and quickly jumped up. Rushing from the Great Hall, Ginny skidded to a halt outside in the corridor. Looking left and right quickly, she saw that he was already gone. With a heavy heart, Ginny headed for the Gryffindor Tower.

**13**

"Blaise."

The aforementioned paused on his way to the dormitory he shared with Draco and a few other Slytherin boys. He turned about to find that it was Draco who had said his name, and froze.

"I need to talk to you," Draco informed him coolly. He glanced about the common room and saw that it was still vacated, so he pressed on. "It's about Ginny. I want to know exactly how you feel about her."

Blaise felt shock roll through him like thunder, but let it rumble about inside him without showing the least bit on his features. His thoughts were flying at a mile a minute trying to recall whether he had said or done anything to indicate that he did, in fact, have feelings for Ginny. He found several, but everything he'd done and said had happened around Ginny, not Draco.

_How does he know_, Blaise wondered, but as the thought crossed his mind he stopped. _He doesn't know. Draco doesn't know anything, he just wants to know, because she and I have spent so much time together. It's natural for him to wonder what our relationship is. If that's even what he's wondering about. Maybe he just wants to know if I approve...  
_

Blaise shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he found him saying. "As long as you like her, I don't real-"

"I don't mean it like that." Blaise froze and Draco continued, "I meant…do you_ like her_?"

Blaise felt his feeling begin to seep out. Pain licked at his nerves like a wild fire and his heart seemed to be working much too hard to beat blood through him.

Blaise felt the urge to lick his suddenly dry lips, but he refrained. Instead, he parted them slowly to say, "Why do you ask?"

Draco watched him for a moment before sighing heavily. He looked at the grounds as he reached up to run his fingers through his hair.

"I knew it."

Blaise felt the words crash into him with a jolt and he immediately spat, "No you don't. You don't _know_, alright? I…" he took a deep breath, "I don't have any sort of relationship with Ginny, alright? She's all yours. Stop worrying so much. She doesn't even notice me."

Draco gazed at Blaise coolly for a moment before saying, "I notice you didn't say anything about not liking her."

"Well…it...it doesn't matter," Blaise spluttered in a rush.

"Why not?"

"It just _doesn't_. It doesn't matter."

"Well it does to me."

"Well it _shouldn't_," Blaise snapped. "It shouldn't matter to you, because it doesn't matter to her! It doesn't matter to _anyone_!"

"It _does_ matter," Draco sapped back. "It matters to _me_. If you like her, it matters, and you do. You like Ginny, you're just too much of a git to admit it to yourself! Or at least to _her!_ And at the very least, you could have told _me_. You like her. Just admit it."

"_Fine_! I _admit it_!I _like _her! I like Ginevera Weasley, but it doesn't bloody _fucking _matter!" Blaise stopped. He was breathing heavily with the effort of holding everything in as it defied him and tumbled out. He looked away from Draco immediately and glared at the fire the burned to his right. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to look at Draco again and mutter, "It doesn't bloody fucking _matter_ when you're the only person she can think about."

Draco stared at him and neither of them spoke. After a long moment of silent, Blaise looked away again before storming off – leaving a shocked Draco in his wake.

Something was griping at his chest and rising as a lump in his throat. As Blaise entered his dormitory, he felt that same feeling that clutched at his heart so desperately begin to claw its way up to his throat. He wanted to scream. Some thing hot pricked at his eyes and his tried to blink it away furiously.

What, he wondered, was this strange feeling that crashed against him in waves so constantly of late? It seemed he felt it every time he thought about Ginny - thought about how far outside his reach she was.

_Oh_, he thought somewhat distantly, _this is "pain."_ The lump in his throat rose above the scratching pain and he realized, _I want to cry._

Blaise slumped down onto his bed and held his head in his hands. He remembered this feeling, vaguely. He hadn't felt this way in such a long time, but he remembered the last time he had.

_It hadn't happened very long after he met Draco that his father became suddenly very reserved - and quick tempered. Blaise had tried his best to regain his fathers attention, but to no avail. Even when he'd turned wild child it was his mother who had punished him. His father had taken no notice._

_Finally, Blaise had confronted his father. Bursting into tears, he'd nearly begged his father for attention._

"_Oh, grow up, Blaise," Mr. Zabini had snapped. "I don't have time for this. I have work to do."_

"_You always have work to do," Blaise had reminded him - half grumbling, half sobbing._

"_Of **course** I always have work to do," Mr. Zabini had nearly screamed at him. "I'm a very busy man! A **grown**__ man, but you don't see me crying or acting out, do you?! At some point you have to **grow up**__, Blaise! You can't always cry when things don't go your way!"_

_Blaise merely stared at his father, speechless. Mr. Zabini had given a scoff of annoyance then and stormed out of the room. He'd left Blaise behind shocked, upset, and determined to grow up as fast as possible. _

_He'd quickly determined that being grown up meant locking up every emotion that could be used against you. You couldn't love anything, because it could be taken away. You couldn't laugh, except in scorn. The only amusement you were allowed to find was in the incompetence of others. Blaise dutifully held to these rule using Draco, Mr. Malfoy and his own father as role models._

_He hadn't felt pain or sadness since then - he hadn't allowed himself to._

Until now.

Blaise pressed his knuckles against his forehead.

Since when did he allowed all these feelings to slip out of his grasp and out of control, he wondered. What had possessed him to let these feelings roam freely through his mind and heart?

In his mind's eye he saw a petite red-head, rooted to the spot as he and Draco walked towards her. He had smiled at the look of astonishment and longing on her face. Draco had told him by then that he had noticed the girl watching him quite a bit of late. The idea amused the pair of them, that a blood traitor like Weaslette would fall for such a pure-blood advocate like Draco.

That's when it had all started. That moment, when Blaise first noticed Ginny noticing Draco. She had intrigued him, and he began to watch her more and more.

Then he got to _know_ her.

Blaise felt his heart burst with several emotions. They filled his heart to the brim, then, being so vast, tore it apart. The newly released feelings and emotions rushed through him. He thought about Ginny. He thought about every moment they'd shared, every moment they could share, and every moment they would never share.

Then he fell apart.

**A/N: Ugh! Never again am I waiting to reach a scene when I already have it perfectly planned in my head. This whole chapter was so much better when I first imagined it, but I waited too long to write it and **_**this**_** was the end result. Sorry about that.**

**CHAPTER REVIEWS**

**pandora-xox: I'm really glad that I decided to continue this story, too. I really do love it, and I'm glad that you enjoy it as much as I do. Yes, I often wish that I had my own pocket Blaise, too...or a pocket Draco...hmmmmm. XD**

**snowfire81: If I had a nickel for every time someone said that this should be a Ginny/Draco/Blaise...well...I'd have a LOT of nickels. Unfortunately...it is not and I _don't_ get a nickel everytime someone says it should be. XD If you are interested in that, though, you might want to check out my new story, Marked by Dark. It's gonna have a little Blaise/Draco, Draco/Ginny, Harry/Ginny, Harry/Blaise (O.O), maybe even some Ginny/Draco/Blaise, Ginny/Blaise, and - dare I suggest - Harry/Draco/Blaise. It will have it all...maybe. It's still working itself out right now and I have absolutely _no_ idea how it will end. And yes, this _was_ a shameless plug.**

**ely914: Thank you for adding my story to your favorites!**

**snakesandemerals: I tell you, these names just get more and more interesting. Aaaaaaanyway, I agree that playful Draco is fun, but the kind of playfulness he _was_ really wasn't Dracoish-playful. He _did_ still get to exhibit some playfulness, though.**

**Jevanminx: T-T I am so glad you understand my plight. They really do bring it all upon themselves...mostly. The plot has a _little_ to do with it.**

**xxbellaxx14: Thank you for adding my story to your favorites.**

**pbk: Yaay! I'm glad that you like it, and thank you for adding my story to your alerts.**

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	14. As the Light Dies

**A/N: Stupid Ginny making plans without me! This whole chapter would be so much easier to write if I didn't have to worry about having her meet up with Draco first. (Grumble, grumble, grumble.) That's a lie. It would've happened anyway. SO! I'll be wrapping up things about the list soon – as in, you will learn who started it! I think you'll be surprised. Aaaaanyway...**

**Disclaimer: I (don't) _own_ this!**

She found him at the beginning, the place everything had started – the Library. Draco was leaning against the side of a bookshelf at the end of one of the aisles. His head was tilted up and back against the solid wood and he was staring rather distractedly at the ceiling.

She had come here after pacing about in the Gryffindor common room for nearly an hour. When people started returning from dinner she decided to leave. She'd come here on impulse, not really expecting to find Draco, not even trying to. She'd just wanted to be alone for a while.

Ginny watched him, now, wondering what had him looking so forlorn.

_Well,_ she though to herself, steeling her nerves, _I'm not going to find out by just staring at him._

So she stepped closer to him, drawing his attention from the ceiling to herself. She cleared her throat gently and murmured, "Hello, Draco."

"Ginny," he responded with a nod.

"I was wondering..." she began slowly. _Why you look so upset,_ she finished mentally. When she opened her mouth to continue audibly, however, she said, "If you would like to go somewhere with me."

Draco gave a smirk which, she supposed, was supposed to look rather haughty. There was a touch of sadness to it, however, somewhere in his gray-blue eyes.

"Where to?"

"Um..." Ginny said, startled. She couldn't very well tell him, "_I don't know,_" so she merely gave him a small smile and held out her hand. He took it in his, looking amused, and allowed himself to be lead from the Library.

Ginny still wasn't quite sure where she was going to take him as she lead him out onto the grounds. As the lake came into view, however, she lead him toward it decisively. The sun was setting – nearly set, in fact – as they made their way toward the lake. The reflecting surface seemed to be ablaze as small waves licked at the air like shoots of flame, twinkling at them in the twilight.

"The lake," Draco murmured inquiringly as he cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"I thought we could take a little walk," Ginny replied coolly as she allowed her hand to slip from his gently.

"Alright," Draco agreed easily. He slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned his upper body to the right, indicating a direction for them to walk in. Ginny followed his lead and they soon fell into step with one another. They were quite for a time as Ginny tried to decide how to start saying what she felt needed to be said. Draco waited patiently and allowed himself to enjoy simply walking along with someone.

Finally, Ginny worked up the courage to speak and murmured, "I've been through quite a bit in the past few months." She paused to glance at him before continuing, "All in the name of getting your attention. Something I seriously doubted I could do.

"When I first saw you reading in the library, I was immediately attracted to you," She added. "There was just something about you at the time that was fragile, and open, and...just...unlike anything I ever thought you could be. I realized then that there had to be much more to you than, 'Draco; son-of-a-Death-Eater.' I realized that you were a _real person_, and not just someone's puppet being controlled from behind the curtains.

"Draco," Ginny said at last, coming to a stop. Draco paused beside her and turned to look at Ginny as she continued, "you're...a remarkable person. I think you're stronger, and braver, and more independent than anyone gives you credit for. You're someone I would like to get to know. So...I was wondering if you would let me do that."

Draco was silent for a while. He watched intently; trying to read something from her eyes and her stance. Trying, it seemed, to peer straight into her heart. He looked away then and gazed out over the lake, which had grown dim in the time they'd been together. Ginny couldn't see his eyes, his face, or his expression, but _still_ something about him seemed, once again, sad to her. She almost wanted to reach out to him in that moment, but refrained.

Finally, Draco turned to look at her once more. His eyes bore into her own and he asked, "Ginny...how do you feel about me?"

"I-..._what_?" Ginny stammered, taken aback. She'd thought she'd just explained it to him. After a moment's pause to gather her thoughts, she replied, "I don't know."

Draco nodded his head as though she'd just confirmed something. He paused briefly before asking, "And how do you feel about Potter?"

Ginny paused, thinking seriously before answering. "I care about him," she began, "deeply. He's a very dear and close friend to me, but I don't think it's much more than that. He's...he's been really good to me, though."

Draco nodded again and looked away. His eyes stared distantly over the lake once more as he murmured very quietly, "And Blaise?"

Ginny's heart skipped a beat. She felt herself flush and she quickly turned her face away from him to stare out at the lake as well. By this time the sun had completely set. The horizon was still somewhat bright, however, with rays of light still kissing the sky. The lake had also grown dark, and the waves were almost indistinguishable.

"I don't know," she admitted at last.

Draco's gaze fell to the ground at his feet, and they were both silent for a long time. The sound of a hard sigh slipped out into the night, mingling with the cool breeze. Ginny looked up at Draco as it reached her ears and found him watching her with his silvery eyes. Something about the way he looked at her pulled at her heartstrings and she whispered, "Draco."

Her utterance and his sigh danced away from them on the night air. Ginny felt suddenly unsure and insecure before him. One hand slipped up her arm and the other moved to rest on her waist, crossing before her chest – she held herself. Draco looked away from her once more.

"Draco," Ginny said at last. "I...I _don't_ know how I feel about you...or Blaise...or Harry, even. Not really, but...," she pause and took a deep breath, "but I _want_ to get to know you. Then I can say for certain how I feel. That's why...that's why I asked you out here."

Draco nodded at Ginny, still not looking at her. Finally, however, he seemed to gather himself, and he looked up at her. He looked like Draco again – the Draco she knew already. He smiled at her slyly and drawled, "That's all there is for it, then."

Ginny stared at him, confused, and he chuckled. Moving toward her slowly, he drew himself up directly in front of her. Ginny felt her heart begin to thump like mad at the mischievous look he had on his face. His eyes danced and he slowly reached out for her.

His arm slipped around her waist, holding her firmly just beyond the small of her back. He tugged her into his arms abruptly and placed a devilish kiss on her lips. This, she realized happily, was much more like the first they'd shared. It was not deep or long but there was passion enough, despite all that, and it lingered – much longer than _he_ did.

**A/N: Okay, so I guess I owe a bit of gratitude to Ginny for deciding to meet up with Draco in this chapter. It really turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I had no idea how I was going to write this chapter, or what all would happen in this meeting. Draco wasn't his normal coolly distant self, but I liked how this came out regardless. For a clue as to what exactly he was thinking and feeling in this chapter, listen to Ingrid Michaelson's "Falling for You."**

**CHAPTER REVIEWS**

**snowfire81: I'm glad you like it!**

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**Jevanminx: Yes, yes. The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one, after all. XD**

**Icy Dreamer: That's alright! You sent a reply eventually, and that's what counts. I just love to hear what people think about my stories. XD Thank you!**

**stinkyloser: I must say I disagree with your username. I highly doubt you are a stinky loser. XD Thank you for adding my story to your alerts!**

**Laney Tate: . Beautiful chapter...never gotten that one before. Thank you!  
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	15. It's a Date Or Two?

**A/N: I lied to you all in the previous Author's Note. If you looked up "Falling for you" by Ingrid Michaelson and either couldn't find it or found what you thought it might be and was confused, I apologize. The song is actually "Falling for you" by _Jem_. Sorry for any confusion.**

**Disclaimer: I wish, I wish I had a fish. Ah, shoot! I meant, "I wish I owned Harry Potter." Darn.**

"Potter."

Harry gritted his teeth at the sound his name. He knew who it was calling him. He knew without even having to turn around. He turned around anyway.

Malfoy.

How Harry wished he could have pretended not to hear his name being called, but they were alone in the corridor. Harry threw Malfoy his best glare. This was all his fault, after all. Everything was. If it weren't for the git standing before him, Harry would be with Ginny right now.

Unfortunately, he was not, and Malfoy was still standing before him. Harry sighed heavily, "What do you want, _Malfoy_?"

"I'm going to ask Ginny to Hogsmeade tomorrow," Draco informed him flatly. "Then I'm going to do everything in my power to get her to fall for me."

"I thought she was already completely head over heals for you," Harry retorted, keeping from his tone the genuine surprise he felt.

"Not completely," Draco replied through gritted teeth, looking distant for a moment. He snapped his silvery-blue eyes on Harry again and added, "Not yet, at least. She's still got some sort of feelings for you, Merlin _knows_ why. Not to mention the feelings she has for _Blaise._

"To put it bluntly," Draco continued, "she's confused. That's why I'm asking her to Hogsmeade this weekend."

"That's all very well, Malfoy," Harry replied shortly, "but wants it got to do with me?"

"I want you to ask her out as well," Draco informed him. "For the same day."

A silence fell between them at this, and Harry stared at Draco for a moment. Finally he snapped, "You _what?_" indignantly.

"I want you to ask Ginny out to Hogsmeade for the same day I am," Draco replied simply, as though speaking with a small child. "Not for the same time, _obviously_. I want her to go on a date with each of us. Then we can ask her to make an informed choice between the three of us.

"I realize I'm at a disadvantage," Draco added, "considering you and Blaise have both spent much more time with her, but I'm not too concerned. Anyway, it levels the playing field a bit for you, at least."

Harry threw him another glare, and Malfoy smirked in reply.

"What if I say no?" Harry challanged.

"Then it's less competition for me," Draco said with a shrug. "However small that competition may be."

Ignoring the latter comment, Harry asked, "Why are you doing this, anyway? Why don't you just ask Ginny out yourself. It's not like she's seeing me or Blaise. You don't have any competition _now_, so why are you creating it?"

Draco was silent for a moment before explaining, "It wouldn't mean anything for me to win her that way. I want her to choose me for my sake. Not just because I'm the one to ask her. Not because I'm the easy answer."

"Wouldn't I be the easy answer?" Harry pointed out.

"No," Draco said, shaking his head. "If it turns out she's not in love with you, then she'll end up hurting you again. Whereas, if she chooses me, then even if she isn't in love with me it doesn't matter. If I get hurt, she knows I can shake it off.

"This is the only way," Draco added firmly. "It's the only way that's fair for her...or us."

Harry was silent for a moment as he considered this. It was true that he wasn't over Ginny, and he wanted another chance to be with her. However, it was also true that he'd all but given up on her by now. Still, here was the chance he'd been hoping for. Well, as close a chance as he'd likely get. He would be a fool not to jump at it...wouldn't he?

"Fine," Harry said at last. "I'll do it."

Draco nodded and turned to leave. "Then let the best man win," he added over his shoulder before walking away.

**15**

"Ginny!"

The aforementioned turned around to find Harry hurrying toward her in the throng of students making their way toward class.

"Oh...Harry, hi," Ginny said, somewhat taken aback. They hadn't spoken in a while, and she had all but forgotten about him. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to Hogsmeade on Saturday," Harry asked.

Ginny paused, chewing her lower lip. "I don't know, Harry..." she said at last, not looking at him.

"C'mon, Ginny," Harry pleaded, taking her hand in his and leaning forward to catch her eyes. "Please? Give me this one lase chance. If you don't want to be with me after that, I'll give up. I promise. I just want one more shot. For old times sake?"

Ginny looked at him silently for a moment. He seemed so earnest and hopeful, she could hardly shoot him down. Didn't she owe him this, at least, after everything she'd put him through? Besides, it would be a good chance for her to reestablish their friendship.

"Alright," she said at last, laughing as Harry whooped.

"Thanks, Gin," Harry said, kissing her cheek. "You won't regret it. I'll meet up with at the Three Broomsticks around...twelve?"

"Sounds good," Ginny agreed.

"Alright," Harry said as he released her hands. As he allowed himself to be swept away by the crowd toward his next class he called out, "See you then!"

Ginny smiled to herself as she turned to make her way to her next class, Potions, the very one Harry had just left. She was stopped again, however, by someone stepping in front of her. Ginny looked up to find Draco smiling down at her.

"Dr-...Draco."

"Hey," he replied coolly. "Caught you."

All she could think of to say in reply was, "Um." It was about all she would've been able to get out, anyway, as Draco chose that moment to press his lips to hers brisquely.

"Meet me on Saturday in Hogsmeade," he told her. "At Honeydukes."

"Okay..." Ginny agreed breathlessly before she remembered Harry. "Oh! Um...wait. I have a...I'm already busy that day. I'm...hanging out with someone...else...at twelve."

"Then I'll see you around three," Draco replied, tugging a lock of her auburn hair playfully. Before she could protest, he walked away, lifted his hand in farewell as he went. He didn't look back once.

"Shit."

It was the _proper_ response, she felt.

**A/N: Well, that went a lot quicker and more easily than I thought it would. The end it near! There's still a bit to go before we reach it, but it'll be upon us before we know it. I'm sort of sad to see this story end, but I'm excited to finish writing it. I think you will all be pleased. Plus I always have Marked By Dark to look forward to (hint, hint).  
**

**CHAPTER REVIEWS**

**snowfire81: Oh, she does, but it's because she's so confused about how she feels. She thinks that if she can get to know Draco like she's gotten to know Harry and Blaise she'll be able to figure out who it is she wants to be with.**

**David Fishwick: Thanks, and don't worry. I will. This is the first time I've seen a reply from you. I hope to see more! (Hint, hint)**

**  
rcr: I suppose she was, now that you mention it. Then again, she was pretty brave telling Blaise that he was going to teach her to tango, too.**

**BOOKLOVER17: That's some super book loving - all caps! Thanks for adding my story to your favorites and your alerts!**

**309003: Um...wow. First time I've seem a username that's all numbers. Aaaaaaanyway, thanks for adding my story to your alerts!**

**pandora-xox: Muahahaha! I live for the cliff hangers and the angst! Or, I should say, I write for them. Then I again, I live to write! And, as we all know, if a=b and b=c, then must a=c. Yaaaaaaay, math! Sorry, that's the first time I've found that useful! XD**

**Icy Dreamer: Aw man, and I don't think Blaise will show up in the next chapter, either. He'll be back, soon, though! I promise!**

**Jevanminx: Yep, that she is, but no worries. As you can see, Draco's got something in the works that should help her!  
**


	16. All Wrappped Up

**A/N: Hey there everyone! I have finally returned to this story. I know, I know. I've been away from it for a very long, long, long time, but I could ignore the messages in my inbox no longer. So this one is for you guys, thanks for the support and encouragement. I couldn't finish this story without all of you****!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, not mind. ....Alas...**

Ginny stared up at the canopy of her four poster bed and sighed. She had been trying, rather vainly, for the last several hours to come up with a way of getting herself out of the mess she'd somehow gotten into. Two dates on Saturday, with two different boys. What was she to do?

_I can't just go out with both of them_, Ginny thought to herself, _least of all on the same day._

The only other options she could think of, however, involved telling one of them she couldn't make it. Immediately, she thought of Harry, and just as quickly guilt washed over her. She told him she would give him another chance. How could she turn around and take that back now?

The worst part was that she'd thrown herself so completely into getting Draco's attention that she'd allowed her other relationships to fall to the side. She and Emily hardly spoke anymore. None of her other friends spent time with her either, so she had no one to turn to for help.

Except, maybe…Hermione. She and the brunette had never been very close, but Hermione and Harry were. Ginny could turn to Hermione for Harry's sake, and she knew that Hermione would at least be able to give her a different perspective on the situation.

The problem with that was, now that Ginny thought about it, she hadn't seen Hermione around in a while. In fact, as far as she knew, no one had. Not even Ron. It hit Ginny then just how much she'd missed out on by focusing so thoroughly on Draco and a feeling of melancholy overtook her for a moment.

Ginny exhaled harshly and gave herself a mental shake. It was too late to worry about all this now. What was done was done. She couldn't go back and change it, so there was no point in wallowing in self pity. She would simply have to be more aware from now on.

Sitting up, Ginny threw her legs over the side of the bed and decided to go seek Hermione out. If there was one place Ginny was likely to find her, it was the library. She would start there.

**16**

Blaise was reading in the common room next to the fire when Draco found him. For a moment, Draco stood to the side, not daring to approach his friend. He knew what he had to say, but had no idea how to begin.

Standing there was doing nothing for him, though, and he knew it. So, steeling himself, he moved forward and sat beside Blaise, gaining his attention in the process.

Blaise looked up at Draco, noticed the look on his face, and silently put his book down. He'd known Draco long enough to know when he wanted to talk, so Blaise sat up and turned his attention completely on Draco.

"What is it," Blaise asked, and waited.

Draco was silent for a moment more before he said, "I have…a favor to ask of you." When Blaise remained silent, Draco pressed on, "It's about Ginny."

"Drac-"

"No. Listen," Draco said sternly, cutting him off. "I want you to hear me out and actually think about this before you answer, alright?" Blaise nodded and Draco continued, "I asked Ginny out to Hogsmeade on Saturday, and I asked Potter to do the same. She has agreed to both dates, as far as I can tell, and I want you to do the same.

"I think…that the best way to settle this for everyone," Draco added, "is for each of us to have a chance to show Ginny what we can offer her. She shouldn't decide until then. That's what I think, anyway."

There was a silence that fell between them then. Blaise looked away from Draco and stared into the fire as he considered what Draco had told him. Everything Draco had said made sense, but there was something about the whole thing that caused Blaise to hesitate.

"I'll think about it," Blaise agreed at last.

"Okay," Draco agreed, and he stood. There was nothing left for him to say, so he turned and left Blaise to think.

**16**

Ginny did find Hermione in the library - in the very back of the library, to be exact. She was sitting at a table with a pile of books, flipping nonchalantly through one in her lap. She didn't notice Ginny as she approached, but as Ginny stopped before her, Hermione looked up.

Blinking a few times, Hermione cleared her head and murmured, "Oh…Ginny. Hi. What's up?"

Ginny paused, trying to think of what to say, but nothing came to mind. As a way of stalling, she looked about the table and grabbed the nearest chair. Pulling it out, she sat and looked at Hermione.

"Um…Hermione," she began haltingly. "I have…a little problem. I was hoping…that you might be able to…uh…give me your perspective on it."

Hermione was silent for a moment as she watched Ginny. Finally, she closed her book and said, "Sure, what is it?"

"Well…you see," Ginny said, "I've been…I…well…I have a…a crush on Draco. I have for a long time. Since I was dating Harry, in fact, and that's why we broke up. I just…I couldn't be with Harry when I knew that I had feelings for Draco, so I decided to try getting Draco's attention…and I did. Now, Draco and Harry have both asked me out to Hogsmeade on Saturday, and I kind of, accidentally, agreed to both of them. Now I don't know what to do, because I…it doesn't feel right to go out with both of them."

Ginny fell silent then and looked at Hermione earnestly. Hermione was silent for another moment, and Ginny could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as she considered what Ginny had told her.

"Well," Hermione said at last, "are you going steady with either of them?"

"Um…no," Ginny said, "but I've told Draco that I want to get to know him better, and I told Harry I'd give him another chance."

"Well then, go with both of them," Hermione said simply. "They both know that you aren't exclusive with just them. Harry already knows that your interest is in Draco, and Draco knows that you're only getting to know one another right now. If you're still worried about it, tell them both about the other date."

Ginny thought about this for a moment. It was true that she and Draco weren't going steady, and her date with Harry was a last chance thing. It wasn't like she thought going on a date with Harry this last time would change her mind; she was just doing him a courtesy.

"Alright," Ginny said. "I'll just go with both of them, you're right. Thanks Hermione."

"No problem," Hermione replied as she pulled out her book once more. Ginny stood and turned to leave, but paused and looked back at Hermione. There was something about her that seemed distant, despite her willingness to help Ginny.

Ginny looked closely at Hermione and thought to herself that if there was anytime to stop being so self-absorbed, it was now. Hermione had helped Ginny with her problems, the least Ginny could do was make sure Hermione was okay.

"Um, Hermione," Ginny said tentatively.

"Hm?" Hermione replied as she looked up from her book.

"Well…I was just wondering," Ginny began slowly, "are you alright? I noticed…you haven't been around much, and…well…you seem sort of…distant."

Hermione looked down at her book again, but Ginny noticed that her eyes weren't moving across the page. Ginny stood silent, waiting patiently for what Hermione would say next.

"Well, if you must know," Hermione began tersely, "you're brother, Ronald, and I are in a fight."

"Oh…I see," Ginny said. "Um…do you want…to talk about it?"

Hermione marked her spot and set the book aside once more. Looking piercingly at Ginny she said, "Are you sure you want to know? It isn't pleasant."

Ginny paused for a moment before moving back to her chair and sitting down. She looked straight into Hermione's eyes and said, "Yeah, I want to know."

"Fine," Hermione said shortly. "Have you heard about the list that's been floating around recently?"

Ginny thought once more of the list that had caused so many problems between her and Draco, and nodded. "I think so," she said, "the one that had girls trying to sleep with all the guys on it?"

"Precisely," Hermione acknowledged. "Well, did you know that there are girls who've made it all the way up to Draco Malfoy – who is second on the list?"

"Uh…yeah, I did, actually."

"And did you know that your brother is at the very bottom of that list," Hermione continued. She took a deep breath then and added, "which means…of course…that he is no longer a virgin."

Ginny was silent for a moment as the realization of what this meant sunk in. "Ron slept with someone other than you. That's why you're upset."

Hermione could only nod. Tears sprung into her eyes at this point and she murmured, "The worst part is…it's my own fault."

Ginny furrowed her brows and asked, "How do you figure that? It was Ron's own choice."

"I know," Hermione said as she reached up to brush the tears from her eyes, "but he wouldn't even be on the list if it weren't for me."

Ginny said nothing; she could only stare at Hermione as the girl tried vainly to keep from crying. Finally, Ginny murmured, "You wrote the list."

"Not exactly," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I did contribute, but I didn't actually take much more part in writing it other than suggesting Ronald's name be at the bottom. I happened to walk in when Lavender and Parvati were writing it with some of the other girls. I knew what they were up to, and I figured if I suggested Ronald as the first person you had to sleep with, they wouldn't get anywhere. Shortly after that Ronald and I got into a fight and broke up. I suppose that's when he…"

Hermione could only shake her head and cover her face with her hands and as she began to sob quietly. Ginny watched her as mixed feelings turned with in her.

"Hermione," she finally said, causing the aforementioned to look up tearfully. "I know that what Ron did was…well…upsetting. I don't really like it either, but it's not like he did it to hurt you. You don't even know the circumstances. Right now, Ron might be feeling really used, and you wouldn't even know, because you haven't spoken to him since, have you?" Hermione shook her head and Ginny continued, "It's not like he cheated on you, or anything. I think you should talk to him about it. Give him a chance to explain himself, at least."

Hermione was silent for a long time before she finally sniffed, and wiped the tears from her eyes one last time. "I suppose you're right," she agreed. "I really…haven't given him a chance. I'll go see if I can find him now."

She stood and gathered her things as Ginny stood, too, and pushed in her chair. As Hermione pulled her bag onto her shoulder, she looked at Ginny and said, "Thanks Ginny."

"You're welcome," Ginny replied with a smile, "It's the least I could do, after all."

Hermione smiled in return before excusing herself and leaving Ginny behind to ponder her own confusing love life. She had decided that she would honor both dates. She owed that much to Harry…and to Draco. She could decide once and for all on them after wards. It was the fairest way, after all.

**A/N: Aaaaaaaaaah! FINALLY, this darned chapter is DONE! I feel like it's taken me forever, because – even when I wasn't writing it – I was thinking about how to write it! I finally wrapped up what happened with the list. Now you all know how it started, and I've added a little more to the story line than just Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. She can't have all the spot light, after all. And now…**

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	17. Make a Choice

**A/N: I know. I know. It has been far too long since my last update. For those of you still lingering in there until the end; I am sorry. I also want to convey my gratitude. I've been struggling with my writing for some time now. Knowing there are people out there who enjoy reading what I write helped me so much, so keep the reviews coming. We're almost to the end.**

As Ginny slipped into the common room that night, she found it filled with the usual activity. She was sure she wasn't the only one noticing Hermione and Ron sitting huddled together in the corner of the room. She found a smile forming on her lips at this sight and slipping away as she spotted Emily sitting on her own by the window.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny crossed to her friend and sat beside her. They were equally silent for a moment as they each attempted to think of something to say. It had been so long since they had spoken that neither was sure how to break the ice.

Finally, Ginny murmured a simple, "Hey."

With a surprised chuckle, Emily replied, "Hey." They smiled at one another in silence for a moment before Emily hesitantly added, "You've been kind of busy recently. It's nice to see you."

"Yeah, about that," Ginny said, taking her most trusted friend's hands into her own. "I'm really, really sorry. I've been so caught up in myself and my own problems that I haven't been there for you at all. I realized that I don't even know what's going on in my best friend's life, and I hate it. I'm really sorry."

"Dummy," Emily responded, causing Ginny to laugh. "I knew all this already."

"I know," Ginny said looked down in shame. "I still felt like I needed to say it, though."

"Well, I guess it is good to hear," Emily replied as she made a face at Ginny. "It's good to hear anything from you at all. So what's been happening?"

"Well," Ginny began, drawing out the word for added suspense. Emily simply raised her eyebrows expectantly and Ginny continued, "I'm going on a date with Draco Malfoy tomorrow."

"What?" Emily hissed, barely managing to keep her voice from shouting the question.

"Yeah," Ginny said, no longer looking at Emily. "Right after what I'm sure will be my last date with Harry."

"Since when are you dating Harry again?" Emily inquired, scooting closer to Ginny. Her eyes were wide with anticipation.

"I'm not," Ginny explained patiently. "I'm just giving him one last date before I break things off completely. Sort of as a favor, I guess."

"How is it a favor?" Emily asked, and Ginny was shocked by the sharpness in her tone. When Ginny continued to simply stare back at Emily in bemusement she added, "It just sounds to be like your leading him on. You know you're going to shut him down in the end, already. So why are you even pretending to give him a chance."

"Well…I'm not…it's just…he asked," Ginny managed to explain in a very small, timid voice. "He just came out of nowhere and begged me for one more chance, so I said yes. Then Draco came out of nowhere and practically _told_ me we'd be going on a date. I didn't plan it this way, that's just how it happened."

Ginny paused to take a breath, and suddenly a thought occurred to her. She frowned and said, "Why do I have to defend this to you? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong here. Neither of them has asked me to be with them. I'm single. I have a right to go on dates with whoever I want for whatever reason I choose."

"I just think," Emily spat as she rose, "that you would have the decency to actually make a _choice_ between the two. They've obviously both stated an interest in you if they're asking you on a date."

"I have made a choice," Ginny stated firmly. "I _chose_ Draco. I'm going on a date with him, because I want to know if he wants to choose me in return."

"Then maybe you should just tell Harry that," Emily snapped in retort, "and stop leading him on with false chances. That is, if you really are happy choosing Draco."

Then Emily stormed off leaving Ginny behind feeling frustrated and confused. She couldn't understand why Emily was getting so worked up over this. It wasn't as if any of it really involved Emily.

_She just doesn't understand the relationship I have with Harry_, Ginny decided. _He's my friend whether we're together or not, and this is the best way I know to keep him as my friend. I just need this time alone with him to explain everything._

Ginny gazed up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Emily had retreated there, probably so she could pretend to be asleep when Ginny went to bed.

_She'll understand once I work this all out_, Ginny thought with determination. _I'll just have to make her understand if it comes to that._

Ginny glanced across the room to where Harry sat with Ron and Hermione. They were all chatting together happily, making Ginny's spirits rise. It was good to see Harry looking so happy again. Her spirits dampened slightly at the thought that she would soon be taking some of the happiness from him soon.

_He'll be fine_, Ginny reminded herself. _He had Ron and Hermione. Besides, there are tons of girls out there who would be willing to help him forget about me. Emily is wrong about me being unable to decide. I know I have to let Harry go. That's what's best for him._

_That's what's best for me,_ Ginny asserted mentally. Then she rose and headed up the stairs to bed. She was so tired. She was tired from caring so much about what everyone else felt. She could barely handle everything she was feeling.

For some reason, this made her think of Blaise. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in several days and she was finding, much to her surprise, that she almost missed him.

_As a friend of course_, Ginny reminded herself as she climbed into bed. _He's been a great friend to me, that's why._

_Or maybe it's something more_, the traitor of a thought snuck out from the back of her mind. Ginny pushed the thought away firmly. If she wanted to figure out her feelings, she would have to stop letting herself confuse them.

_I'm going after Draco_, Ginny thought to herself as she closed her eyes and cuddled into the warmth of her sheets. _I'm only after Draco._

In spite of these last thoughts before drifting off to sleep, Ginny found herself dreaming all night of dancing the tango, but not with Draco. It was Blaise she danced with, and at the end he kissed her passionately in front of all the Slytherins. Then he pulled away to spin her around before everyone including Draco, Harry, and Emily. Even Hermione and Ron were there. The most surprising thing about the dream however, was the fact that everyone was applauding at the end. They were cheering for Blaise and Ginny.

**17**

Blaise held to the promise he made Draco. He thought very seriously and deeply about asking Ginny to Hogsmeade and decided it would be best if he didn't. She was confused as it was; Blaise could tell. There was no need to add to her stress.

_Besides_, thought Blaise, _it's not as if she's even interested in me._

He knew that, in the end, it would be easier for him if he simply forgot his feelings for Ginny. This was, of course, easier said than done. It seemed that every time he managed to seal up his feeling for Ginny she'd show up and talk to him, or just be near him, and all of those feelings came rushing back.

Blaise had managed to avoid her in the past few days since deciding to forget about her. The thing was, this didn't seem to help him much either. He thought about Ginny almost constantly. They were thoughts accompanied by harsh pangs in his chest.

Thankfully, Draco had given Blaise space since confronting him about Ginny. When they spoke, they carefully avoided topics that could lead to her. Blaise knew Draco was trying to be kind, but he also felt that maybe Draco didn't want to discuss Ginny with him.

_I can't blame him_, Blaise thought as he lay in bed. He was facing Draco's bed where his blond friend was fast asleep, looking forward to his date with Ginny the next day at Hogsmeade.

As Blaise rolled over, turning away from Draco, he thought, _I don't really want to talk to him about Ginny, either. I doubt he really wants to hear what I think anyway. I don't want to know what he thinks. I can't take it. Not yet._

Blaise sighed heavily and tried to stop the stem of thoughts flowing through his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, though, he saw Ginny. He tried thinking of anything else, but all his thoughts seemed to lead back to her.

_Maybe I should have asked her_, Blaise thought mournfully. _It's too late now, though._

He turned onto his back and stared at the canopy of his four poster bed. He told himself that all he had to do was get through the next day. If he could just do that, he knew he'd be fine. Once Ginny and Draco were officially together, it would be easier for Blaise to forget about her. He would have no other choice.

Blaise closed his eyes and saw Ginny in his minds eye once more. He sighed and forced her image to shrink away into the distance until she had disappeared from his mind's sight. She was still present there, of course, but it wasn't as stark as seeing her.

Blaise forced his mind to relax, letting his thoughts disperse in all directions. Soon, his thoughts of Ginny were mixed up in memories of the day and his past. Then he was fast asleep and dreaming. He held Ginny close in his dreams and finally told her everything he felt. He smiled in his sleep as she confessed that she had always felt the same.

**A/N: Man. When I started this chapter a couple of months ago I thought for sure it would be the last one. Now I realize there are still some loose ends to tie up with this story. Yeesh. I promise to update again soon. My New Years Resolution has helped tune me back into writing, so I'm going to promise the next chapter by Valentines Day at the latest.**

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	18. At LastThe End

**A/N: Oh man. I don't know if I want to do this. Writing the end of the story is always the saddest part of writing for me. It's pretty cool that I'll be posting this for Valentine's Day – quite suiting, in fact. So here we go, to the end!**

Ginevra Weasley sat alone in the Three Broomsticks pub waiting for Harry to arrive. She had shown up far earlier than she'd been intending, but had hoped he might have come early as well. Now, sitting alone at a table, she was almost glad he hadn't. She needed this moment alone to brace herself for what was to come – though, she truly had no idea what she was about to face.

At each sounding of the bell hanging above the door of the pub, Ginny turned round to see if Harry had finally arrived. It wasn't until her mind became so wrapped up in thoughts of what she would _say_ when he _did_ arrive that Harry entered the pub. Ginny, deep in thought, did not turn around at the ringing sound of the bell announcing his arrival.

She _did_ nearly jump out of her skin when he sat across from her and nonchalantly said, "Hey, Gin."

"_Harry_," Ginny gasped as she recognized him. Then as she calmed herself she said more cheerfully, "You're here!"

"Yeah," Harry replied with an easygoing smile. "Here I am. You want a butterbeer? My treat."

"Um…thanks…maybe in a minute…if you still want," Ginny murmured out hesitantly. "I kind of…have something to say before…."

Harry was silent for a moment and became incredibly interested in the grain of the table top. He stared hard at it for a long time before he said at last, "This is about Malfoy, isn't it?" Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but Harry continued before a sound left her lips. "Its okay, Ginny, I know how you feel about him. I _have _known for a while."

Harry turned his head to stare at the dust-covered windows, as if to look through them. Then he stood up abruptly and said, "I think I will go get those butterbeers – we might need them. I'll be right back, Gin."

"Okay," Ginny replied in a very small tone as Harry hurried away from the table. She sighed heavily and looked down at the table once more, filled with shame. Then she glanced back up to watch Harry's back. He stood steadily enough, and spoke with the barman cheerfully. It was as he was approaching their table that Ginny saw the sign she'd been searching for. There was a dark cloud in Harry's emerald green eyes – more vibrant today than usual, Ginny noticed, and more distant.

He sat and placed a mug before Ginny as he said, "I know what this is, Ginny. It's a pity date and I knew that going into this. You and I…I've known for a while that we weren't going to work out. We're just…not meant to have that kind of relationship." Harry smiled grimly at Ginny and took a sip of his butterbeer.

"Harry…," Ginny sighed, wanting more than anything to be able to tell him he was so very wrong about the premise of their date. Ginny didn't want to lie to Harry anymore, though, so she pressed on and said, "You're right. I just…I see you as a friend now. There was a time when being in a relationship with you was all I wanted, but…things change. People change, you know? But I don't want to lose your friendship, Harry. You've been a great friend to me…and Ron. I don't want this…mess…or whatever this is to strain those relationships."

"Me either," Harry agreed, heavy hearted. "That's why I agreed to meet you here today."

Ginny frowned at that and slowly reminded him, "Um….Harry…you asked _me_ to meet you here today."

"Well…yes," Harry said, a look of guilt overcoming his features. "That's what I meant."

Ginny looked him over a moment and replied, "I don't believe you, Harry. What are you trying to hide from me? You might as well spit it out now; I know there's something."

Harry sighed heavily and was silent a moment before he admitted, "Malfoy suggested that I should ask you for a last chance date…and I know that you're going to meet him after this. We were hoping this would give you a chance to make a clear decision between us…of course, I know you've already chosen."

"Wait, _what_?" Ginny hissed, outraged. She stopped herself and took a calming swig of her beverage and placed it back down rather more roughly than she'd intended before continuing, "Do you have _any_ idea the sort of drama I've face because of today?"

Harry gazed back at her, his eyes suddenly hard and cruel as he replied, "I'm sure it's nothing compared the drama you've been putting us all through these past months."

Ginny opened her mouth to retort, but couldn't deny the truth of what Harry said. She closed her mouth then, reconsidered her position and continued, "Still! At least I was honest with you and Draco about my feeling. I may not have felt I could tell you everything as it happened, but I told you as much as I could as soon as I could. _You_, on the other hand, are apparently sneaking around behind my back with Draco to decide the outcome of my love life!"

"That's not-" Harry began to protest, his eyes less dark and clouded.

Ginny stood suddenly, stopping him mid-sentence and said, "I want to know exactly what this is about, and I know you won't say it so it will hurt me, Harry. That's why I have to go now. I'm sorry." Ginny started to walk away but stopped next to Harry and gazed at him earnestly as she added, "for everything."

Then Ginny tore out of the store, heading for Honeydukes in hopes that she'd find Malfoy. Harry was tearing closely behind after her, calling out. Ginny ignored him, though. Her only focus was to find Draco.

She paused at the open window of Honeydukes and stared inside quickly. Seeing no sign of Draco, she turned round and glanced about the street. She was wondering where to look for him when Harry dashed around the corner, saw Ginny, and came to a skidding halt. The two look at each other, both still panting, neither knowing what to say – then Draco suddenly stepped into their midst.

There was a hiatus of silence as the Draco observed them and they stared back at him. Then he smirked at Ginny and drawled to Harry, "Couldn't keep her entertained, I see, Potter. I suppose that's to be expected."

He turned to sneer in Harry's direction. The later opened his mouth to make a retort when Ginny spoke, "Draco, I want to know what all of this is about. Harry has informed me that the two of you are conspiring behind my back."

"I assure you, Ginny," Draco replied with an expression of mock offense, "I would never conspire _with_ that distasteful twit, Potter."

Ginny considered him for a brief moment before realizing aloud, "You planned this all yourself. Why, though – I don't understand."

Draco smiled and said, "I could tell you were unsure about your feelings." He shrugged adding, "I thought if you had a chance to see what each of us could offer you, it would be easier for you to choose between Potter, Blaise and I."

"Oh…" Ginny replied. Then frowned and added, "What do you mean between you, _Blaise_, and Harry. You and Harry are the only one's who asked me here today."

Draco shrugged and said, "Well I included Blaise. You'll have to ask him why he didn't participate."

Ginny stared hard at Draco and suddenly it occurred to her like getting hit by a powerful stupefy. She smiled at Draco and said, "Is he still up at the school?" Draco nodded and Ginny immediately turned on her heels and ran up to the castle.

Harry was gazing at Draco with much the same expression Ginny had moment before and he said, "I still don't understand. What's all this about, Malfoy?"

"Obviously you don't understand, Potter," Draco spat in reply. He looked haughtily at Harry before adding, "As I _have_ involved you in the scheme already, I suppose it is only polite to inform you of its intentions."

He gave Harry and sidelong glance and continued, "You have, I'm sure, sensed the feelings she has for Blaise."

Harry was silent for a moment before replying in a terse tone, "Yes."

Draco turned away from Harry as he concluded, "Well…let's just say I've sensed similarly inclined feelings in Blaise."

Harry gave Draco that same bemused expression and said, "Well, who knew? Malfoy…you really can be a loyal friend."

Draco glanced at Harry with hard, cold gray eyes and said, "Shut up, Potter." Then he shoved his hands in his pocket and continued on his way. This left Harry standing alone and uncertain in the middle of Hogsmeade.

"Harry?" said a voice from behind him. Harry turned around to find Ginny's friend standing behind him looking just as uncertain as he feeling. She smiled timidly at him and moved closer.

"Hey," Harry replied at last. "You're name is…Emily, right?"

"Yeah," she replied with a reassured grin. "I…um…well." She took a deep breath and barreled on, "I saw you standing here by yourself and I thought…I was wondering…if you'd like to go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink?"

Harry considered her for a moment, then flashed his easy-going grin and said, "Yeah. That sounds great, actually."

**18**

Blaise was exactly where Ginny knew he would be – in their studio in the room of requirements. Even as she stood outside the nondescript door with no sign that Blaise had so much as passed by, Ginny knew he would be there – just on the other side of the door.

She knew this for the same reason she knew why he hadn't gotten involved in Draco's scheme. He cared about her – enough to remove himself from the playing field to keep from confusing her more. Except; Ginny had never felt more certain about anything than she did about this.

When she reached out at last to turn the handle and peak inside, she wasn't disappointed. Blaise was standing in the middle of the room, the song they had danced to playing softly around him. Ginny slipped inside as he joined in the song, dancing the moves he'd created for the music rather listlessly.

As he turned he spotted her watching him and came to a stumbling halt; gracefully catching himself at the end of it. "Ginny," he said as he composed himself, a look of shock still in his eyes. As he regained his composure, however, his eyes darkened and he seemed to distance himself from her with their shadowed gaze.

"What are you doing here?" he inquired in an entirely different tone – less welcoming, Ginny decided. "Come to tell me you've captured Draco's attention as you planned? I already know."

Ginny felt a twinge of uncertainty at the tone in her voice, but then she thought about the kiss they'd shared and the time they'd spent together. She thought about all the hidden signs he'd been giving her and all the confliction she'd been feeling for him him. Then she felt bold – like she had when she'd first desired Draco. This intensity felt different, though – it felt right. It felt deserved.

"No," she said at last, moving slowly closer to him. "I came here, because I have something entirely different to tell you. It's something I've realized I've been feeling for a while now…" she paused as she came to a halt directly in front of him.

Then Ginny gazed into Blaise's eyes, trying to read them, trying to see if he understood. She saw all she needed – a flicker of hope. It was enough to boost her confidence and cause her to grab the front of his shirt, pull herself up on tip-toes to plant a kiss directly on his stunned lips.

**18**

Blaise stood stock still as Ginny kissed him – stunned. He felt sure this couldn't be happening. Not after the months of torture, of desire, of wishing for exactly this and knowing he'd never have it.

Then Blaise though, _Oh, to hell with it! _He suddenly grabbed Ginny up around the waist and pulled her closer to him while deepening the kiss. There was a tidal wave of emotion as he felt his desires finally being quenched – yet he still found himself wanting more.

"Ginny," he murmured her name sweetly against her lips. Then, "Oh, Ginny," he said again; this time pulling away. He gazed at her, his defenses shattered and his heart on sleeve as he added, "What took you?"

**A/N: At last; the end. This had been a very long…long, long, long…and difficult road. Thanks to everyone who stuck with it until the end. A special thanks to those who gave me that extra boot in the rear when necessary. I'll be spending a lot of my free time working on my manuscript, but hopefully I'll be able to continue work of Marked By Dark soon! – Rae**

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